Tweet
Iranian cycle team may be on the run
The team is registered in the FBD Insurance Rás but six of its members have not been seen since arriving here on Tuesday and Thursday.
It is believed the Iranians are not cyclists at all and race director Dermot Duignam said their entry into the race was an elaborate smokescreen.
“As of now I don’t know where the six are and I don’t know if anybody knows where they are.
“It appears that this was an elaborate plan to use the race as a means of persons entering the country,” he said.
Following contact with people claiming to be the Iranian Cycling Federation he was led to believe that they were staying at the Iranian Embassy in Dublin.
“I have discovered that they are not there and apparently were never there,” he said
The five-man team and four officials were not scheduled to arrive until yesterday but four arrived at Dublin Airport on Tuesday.
Mr Duignam said he became suspicious when agreed procedures were breached by the Iranians.
After the four arrived in Ireland on Tuesday he rang their home federation to ask what the position was with the other five.
He was told that they did not have visas and if they did not get them then there would not be an Iranian team in the race.
He immediately got on to immigration and was told that all the visas had been left at the Irish Embassy in Teheran.
“Following discussions with the Iranian Embassy and Immigration officials we immediately cancelled arrangements for the team’s participation in the FBD Insurance Rás,” Mr Duignam said.
Two more members arrived on Thursday and also went missing.
The Iranian team was named as Mahdi Fathi, Mohammad Rastad, Amir Shakeri, Mobin Bagherzadega and Mahoud Talei and the manager was Abbas Talei.
When the FBD Insurance RÁS gets underway from Naas on Sunday missing from the start line will be the five man strong Iranian team.
It appears an elaborate plan was in operation to use the race as a means of persons entering the country, and not to tackle the international cycle race.
Following months of negotiating with what appeared to be a legitimate Vice President of the Iranian Cycling Federation race organiser Dermot Dignam was alerted to the possibility of a scam over the past few days when agreed procedures were breeched by the Iranians.
Commenting on the situation Dignam confirmed that 'following discussions with the Iranian Embassy and immigration officials we immediately cancelled arrangements for the team's participation in the FBD RÁS.'
Meanwhile, teams from the USA, Germany, Estonia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Britain, Australia and the Netherlands are due into Ireland today and early tomorrow.
The FBD Insurance Rás will get underway on Sunday with a 157 kilometre stage from Naas to Templemore.
The riders will cover almost 1200 kilometres of highly competitive racing as they travel anti-clockwise around the country, taking in additional stage finishes at Loughrea, Sligo, Dungloe, Buncrana, Derry, Newcastle and Skerries.
Comment