Nicola Consi joined the Gazprom-Rusvelo team this season, but was out of a job when the UCI suspended the team following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now, the Italian has released a petition on social media to pressure the UCI to find answers for him and his teammates.

"The words in this post are addressed to the UCI. 'It has already been 50 days since I and my former Gazprom Rusvelo teammates witnessed our right to work being stripped away. Our salaries and targets have been suspended.

"We have been waiting for you and the CPA to do your job in a professional manner, but you must now take responsibility and resolve our situation," Conti wrote. 'The time for answers has come. Don't just talk about it, do it. Our future depends on your choices."

On March 1, the UCI banned all Belarusian and Russian teams from competing as part of the global response to Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

The invasion is now in its third month, and along with economic sanctions, sporting sanctions, including a ban on Russia and Belarus from competing at the Paralympics, have done little to slow the destruction of Ukraine.

Gazprom Rusvelo was the only professional team registered in Russia, and there were three continental men's teams: the men's and women's teams of Vozrozhdenie, CCN Factory Racing, and Minsk Cycling Club were similarly affected by the ban.

Meanwhile, the UCI allows Russians and Belarusians on foreign professional teams to continue competing, but foreign riders on Russian or Belarusian teams are suspended.

The UCI has relaxed its rules on changing nationality, adding a provision allowing any licensee to change nationality and expediting the process for dual nationals to change sporting countries.

However, this will not help foreign riders on Russian licensed teams. Although several riders, including Conti, who finished sixth overall behind teammate Damiano Caruso, competed with the Italian national team in the Tour of Sicily, most were unable to find a team.

Gazprom Rusvelo, based in Italy with a Swiss management company and Gazprom's German subsidiary as title sponsors, suspended all activities last month, forcing riders to seek new contracts as they seek to rebuild their teams with new sponsors.

The team's equipment sponsors, Look and Colima, pulled out of the team in March, but the team hoped to continue with unbranded kit.

"It could have attracted a lot of attention and saved the team. The riders agreed to the plan and were willing to do it, but the UCI said no and did not help at all. They went against us by doing nothing," team manager Renato Camidulin told Cycling News.