Tuesday 1 October 2019 16:32, UK
An anti-trust complaint has been filed with the European Union by The Velon Business group against cycling's governing body, claiming the UCI has been trying to hinder their business.
The Velon Business Group represents some of the biggest teams in the sport, including Team Ineos, UAE Team Emirates and Trek-Segafredo.
In a statement, Velon said: "In the past year the UCI has tried to stop what Velon and the teams have pioneered in their joint business on new races (the team v team "Hammer Series") and technology."
None of the Hammer Series are part of the UCI's World Tour which groups together the top races of the calendar.
All of the major cycling races are privately owned apart from the UCI world championships.
"Velon and its shareholder and partner teams hoped and expected that its initiatives would be supported by the UCI, as had been the case in previous years," the company statement read.
"In the past 12 months the UCI has used its regulatory power and political leverage to seek to block the business activities of Velon and the teams in an incorrect and unlawful manner."
The UCI were not immediately available for comment.
