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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Dear Members,
After the joint CAC-UEC Congress in Rome in March, I was delighted
to attend the Congress of the Arab Cycling Union in Cairo, Egypt,
this month. Under the Presidency of Cheik Faisal bin Hamid Al
Qasimi (UAE), the Union does fantastic work for its 18 affiliated
Federations, not least with the organisation of Arab Championships
for different cycling disciplines. This year’s Congress was hosted
by the Egyptian Cycling Federation and its President Dr Mohamed
Wagih Azzam, who is Vice-President of the UCI and of the Arab
Cycling Union as well as President of the Conféderation Africaine
du Cyclisme. The Congress was a wonderful occasion for me to
witness first-hand the dedication of these Federations to train not
only their athletes but also coaches and officials.
Last week I was in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for the Congress of the
Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC). Presided by Osama Ahmed Abdullah
Al Shafar (UAE), the ACC counts 42 affiliated National Federations
and it was a pleasure to meet many of them in Tashkent. The
Congress was preceded by an Anti-Doping Seminar, led by the UCI
Legal Anti-Doping Service (LADS) Legal Counsel Justin Lessard and
with input from some of our National Federations on initiatives
carried out in their countries. The UCI is a leader in the fight
against doping and this seminar helped bring our National
Federations up-to-date on latest developments.
From Uzbekistan, I traveled to Turkmenistan with my UCI Management
Committee colleague Igor Makarov, where we met the President of the
Republic of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. As you know,
our 2022 UCI Track Cycling World Championships will be organised in
the capital Ashgabat and this is an ideal occasion to discuss this
event and cycling in the region.
Earlier in the month, on April 11, I joined members of the
Professional Cycling Council (PCC) for its meeting in Brussels
(Belgium).
As you know, in Innsbruck (Austria) last September, the PCC unanimously approved the new organisation of
men’s professional road cycling. This was also
approved by the UCI Management Committee and changes are being
gradually introduced from this year. The adaptation of the UCI
Regulations to accommodate this new organisation was one of the
focuses of this month’s meeting in Brussels, as was the UCI
WorldTour calendar.
Founded by the UCI, the PCC – which represents teams, riders and
organisers - continues to work tirelessly and meticulously to
ensure that men’s professional road cycling is viable, attractive,
readable and credible, in line with the objectives I outlined in
Agenda 2022. I salute the commitment and work of the PCC which
contributes to ensuring a healthy future for our sport.
Moving onto other disciplines, the UCI World Cups for BMX Freestyle
and Flatland, BMX Supercross, mountain bike and cycle-ball all got
under way this month. The year is well and truly in full swing!
David Lappartient
UCI President
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New
National Federation Presidents
The Swiss Cycling
Board of Directors has named Mr Franz Gallati and
Mr Patrick Hunger as Co-Presidents of Swiss
Cycling.
The Laos Cycling
Federation has elected Dr Hongkham Souvannavong as new
President as of 18 April 2019. The new Secretary General of the
Federation is Mr Saysanith Vongviengkham.
We wish Messrs
Gallati, Hunger and Dr Souvannavong success in the work to be
undertaken in the next few years for the development and promotion
of cycling.
We would kindly ask
all National Federations to inform the UCI of any changes to their
respective Executive Boards; this will help maintain a reliable
line of communication with the UCI. Please inform the International
Relations Department at internationalrelations@uci.ch
of any new appointments or modifications.
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Registration procedure for 2020 / 2020-2021 UCI
Calendars
The registration procedure for UCI calendars
for the next season is now available. This guide concerns all
UCI disciplines and includes useful step-by-step instructions for
the registration of events on the UCI International Calendar as
well as the deadlines for the submission of the completed
registration forms.
Please bear in mind that a race can only be considered for
registration if the organiser has honoured their financial
obligations with the UCI, in accordance with Article 1.2.012
of the UCI Regulations.
The collaboration and contribution of our National Federations is
very important to the development of the UCI International
Calendar. We thank you in advance for respecting the deadlines for
the submission of the completed registration forms as indicated in
the guide. Should you have any questions or require further
information, please do not hesitate to contact the UCI Sports
Department (sportsdepartment@uci.ch).
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2020-2022
UCI WorldTeams licence application process
23 teams have
confirmed their interest in applying for a UCI WorldTour licence
for the 2020-2022 period. For the full story, please consult the UCI website.
2020 UCI 1st and 2nd Division Women and Men’s Road
Teams: key registration dates
Key dates
The registration deadlines for UCI Women's and Men’s WorldTeams and
UCI ProTeams (currently known as UCI Professional Continental
Teams) for the 2020 season are determined by the UCI
Regulations and are as follows:
- 3
September 2019: Payment of the
application/registration fee
- 1
October 2019: Deadline to submit
the registration documentation
- 7
October 2019: Press release
confirming the list of teams which have fulfilled the
requirements of Articles 2.13.088, 2.15.069bis and 2.16.014bis
- 4-30
November 2019: Hearings of the
Licence Commission
- 19
December 2019: Publication of the
list of teams on the UCI website.
During
the 2020 season, five UCI Women’s WorldTour licences may be issued.
If justified by the circumstances and as detailed in the article
2.13.032 of the UCI regulations, up to three additional licences
may be awarded. For further explanation and seasons beyond 2020
please kindly refer to the articles 2.13.032 and 2.13.041 of the
UCI Regulations.
Please note that
relevant information regarding the UCI Continental Teams (Women and
Men) will be included in the next newsletter.
Registration via UCI DataRide – Teams platform
The 2020 team registration will once more be carried out via the
updated UCI DataRide – Teams platform. With this in mind, two
workshops have been planned to present the UCI
team registration platform to the individuals responsible for
registering their teams. Workshops will take place as follows:
- UCI Women's and
Men’s WorldTeams and UCI ProTeams (currently known as UCI
Professional Continental Teams): 6 August 2019 at the UCI
headquarters in Aigle (SUI).
- National
Federations (UCI Continental Teams and UCI Continental Women’s
Teams): during the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in
Yorkshire (22-29 September 2019, dates to be confirmed).
Further details
regarding the workshops will be announced soon and all comprehensive
information regarding the registration process of the teams will be
available in the registration guides that will be sent to all 1st
and 2nd division teams in early July, and to the National
Federations, UCI Continental Teams and UCI Continental Women’s
Teams in early August.
Participation rules:
As you are aware, there is an obligation to declare affiliated
teams and shared main sponsors, paying agents and team
representatives. Indeed, teams are forbidden from competing in the
same event if they share a paying agent or main partner in
accordance with Article 2.2.001 of the UCI Regulations.
Furthermore, a UCI WorldTeam or UCI Professional Continental Team
may not compete in the same race as one of its registered
development teams. Further clarification on the links between teams
can be found on the UCI website.
In the case of National Federations, all affiliated club teams which
have the same paying agent, team representative or main partner as
a UCI team must be declared to the UCI.
We kindly ask all National Federations, who have yet to update the
UCI, to submit this information as soon as possible to the Road
Department at road@uci.ch,
and to provide any relevant updates immediately throughout the
year.
2019 UCI Road World Championships
All the key
information to help National Teams plan for the 2019 UCI Road World
Championships in Yorkshire (GBR) can be found in the General Information Bulletin
which was published on the UCI website on 1 April.
National Federations' participation in the
188th UCI Congress
To support the
participation of National Federations in these major UCI
event, which brings together various members of the cycling family,
the International Relations Department, in cooperation with the
Local Organising Committee of Yorkshire, set up a procedure to
facilitate visa applications for the United Kingdom. Although the
process for obtaining a visa can only be initiated at the earliest
three months before the date of travel, the International Relations
Department will contact National Federations directly from now to
help prepare a complete file, which can be submitted at the opening
of the procedure.
You can contact us at internationalrelations@uci.ch
for any questions related to your presence at the UCI Congress.
More information about the process for visa application are to be
found via the General Information
Bulletin of the UCI Road World Championships, on the
UCI website.
New event at the UCI Road World Championships
in 2019 : Team Time Trial Mixed Relay
A new event, the "Team
Time Trial Mixed Relay", will be introduced to
the programme of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships this
September in Yorkshire (GBR). Replacing the UCI Team Time Trial,
the event will now feature national teams composed of three men and
three women. Men and women each complete one lap, with the three
men starting together first and relaying to their three women
teammates, with one continuous time counting for their nation’s
ranking.
Before its official launch and in order to test this new race
format and related timing systems, a test event took place at the
Touring Club Suisse circuit on Friday 12 April in Cossonay,
Switzerland.
Teams of six riders – men and women – made up of athletes from
Swiss Cycling, the UCI World Cycling Centre, and a selection of UCI
staff members, participated in this event under simulated race
conditions.
The new format will be part of the programme of the UEC Road
European Championships in August. In order to ensure optimal
National Team participation at these upcoming Championships, we
encourage National Federations to support the creation and training
of such a national team to compete at the UEC Road European
Championships, and thereafter, at the UCI Road Championships in
Yorkshire. This new race format represents an excellent opportunity
for National Federations to promote gender equality.
A video of the test event is available here.
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UCI
Calendar - Reminder
National
Championships
We would like to remind all National Federations that, in order to
be included in the UCI Rankings, National Championships must be
registered on the UCI Calendar prior to their organisation. The
results of these championships must then be uploaded onto UCI
DataRide on the second working day following the end of the
competition, at the latest. If you have any questions, do not
hesitate to contact track@uci.ch immediately.
Reminder to organisers of international events
- Late
addition of an event to the UCI International Calendar (art.
3.8.001ter)
Events may still be
registered on the UCI International Calendar; however, a late
registration fee may be charged. In the case of late registrations,
there must be a period of at least three months between the date of
registration and the date of the event. If the period is shorter,
the additional event may still be accepted, but only in Class 2.
Likewise, any races added to an event's competition programme must
be declared at least 30 days before the event date.
Registration forms are available on the UCI National Federations' Extranet.
- Minimum
format of competitions counting towards UCI rankings
Any event awarding
UCI Ranking points must respect the formats and/or minimum
distances stipulated in the UCI Regulations, or else those points
will not be awarded. This also applies to the minimum number of
participants in the individual sprint (minimum of 8 riders in
accordance with Article 3.2.031) and the keirin (minimum of 10
riders in accordance with article 3.2.135).
- Commissaires
appointed by National Federations
The number of
Commissaires appointed at international events must conform to UCI
Regulations (art. 1.2.116).
2019 - 2020 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup
Reminder of dates:
- Minsk (BLR): 1-3
November 2019
- Glasgow (GBR): 8-10
November 2019
- Hong Kong (HKG): 29
November-1 December 2019
- Cambridge (NZL):
6-8 December 2019
- Brisbane (AUS):
13-15 December 2019
- Milton (CAN): 24-26
January 2020
Competition
programmes will be available shortly; however, Olympic disciplines
will feature on the programme at each round.
Quotas (SP, KE, OM, MA) – Tuesday 17 September 2019
Quotas valid for the 2019-2020 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup
will be published on Thursday 19 September 2019
at 12:00 (CET). They will be based on the UCI Rankings of 17
September 2019, as stipulated in art. 3.4.005 amended on 21 June
2018.
New
registration deadlines for UCI events
In order to improve
the UCI events registration procedure, and the method of
reallocating unused quotas, the Track Commission has decided to
implement strict deadlines. This updated procedure is described
below and we kindly ask you to take note of this important
information.
Registration deadline for World Cup and World Championships
When online registration closes, a 48-hour extension
to the deadline will be granted for late
registrations. Furthermore, a fine of 200 CHF will be charged to
the National Federation. Once this deadline has passed, unused quotas
will be reallocated automatically, without
requesting confirmation from the National Federation in question.
Deadline for sending an exemption request
For World Cup events: no exemption
request relating to a World Cup round will be accepted after the
online registration has closed for that round. Conditions for
participating in World Cup rounds are stipulated in article 3.4.004.
For World Championships: all
exemption requests must be sent a maximum of three days after the
end of the final World Cup round, i.e. by Wednesday 29 January
2020. Qualification quotas will then be published on Monday 3
February 2020. Each National Federation and every rider participating
in the UCI Track Cycling World Championships presented by Tissot
must meet the conditions stipulated in articles 9.2.025 and 9.2.027bis.
The table summarising the opening and closing dates for UCI events
can be found here.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games - provisional competition
programme
The provisional
programme of track events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been
published on the UCI website.
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2019
Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
Information
concerning the 2019 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will
be published regularly on the UCI website. Please ensure to
check it for official schedules and deadlines related to the
series.
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We remind you that
each Team and National Federation must book its Team/National Federation
area with each Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup organiser,
via a form available on each organiser’s website, at least one
month before the event.
2019
UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz
The competition
guide for the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, taking
place in Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN) and featuring XCO, DHI and
E-mountain bike, will be published on the UCI website shortly. This
publication contains all the relevant information pertaining to
this event.
Please note that your National Federation area must be booked
directly via the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships organiser: lisa@gestev.com
2019 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships
The competition
guide for the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships,
taking place in Grächen (SUI), will be published shortly on the UCI website. This publication
contains all the relevant information pertaining to this event.
Also available on the website are the schedule and online registration deadlines.
Organisation guide - UCI International Calendar
The organisation
guide for mountain bike events registered on the UCI International
Calendar is now available on the UCI website. Please refer to
this document should you wish to organise a mountain bike event.
E-mountain bike
Following the
announcement by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM)
of its intention to organise an E-bike event in June 2019, the UCI
has issued a press release stating that E-mountain bike
(electrically-assisted mountain bike) is one of its disciplines and
any related events come exclusively under its jurisdiction.
The UCI integrated E-mountain bike into its Regulations (Part IV:
Mountain bike events) on 1 January 2019. Events in domains under
its exclusive jurisdiction that are registered on the FIM calendar
or those of its member Federations will be considered “banned
events” in line with its regulations. Consequently, any UCI
licensed rider participating in one of these events would risk
disciplinary measures. Should you have any information regarding
UCI licence-holders taking part in any E-mountain bike event
organised under the auspices of the FIM or their National Federations,
please inform the UCI at offroad@uci.ch.
For the UCI’s
official statement, please consult the UCI website.
First round of the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike
World Cup - Maribor (SLO)
The mountain bike
downhill season promises to be exceptionally hard-fought, with only
1 second separating the first four men in the first round of the
Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Maribor, Slovenia.
Finally, it was UCI World Champion Loic Bruni (FRA) who took the
men’s win for Specialized Gravity in front of Great Britain’s Danny
Hart (Madison Saracen Factory Team), Australian Troy Brosnan
(Canyon Factory Downhill Team) and American Charlie Harrison (Trek
Factory Racing DH). Equally exciting was the battle between British
riders Rachel Atherton and Tahnee Seagrave in the women’s
competition, with Seagrave (Transition Bike / Muc Off Factory
Racing) riding 0.855 seconds faster than multiple UCI World
Champion Atherton (Atherton Bikes) in the final to take the win.
Fastest qualifier, Australia’s Tracey Hannah (Polygon UR) finished
third.
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2019
UCI BMX Supercross World Cup
The first two
rounds of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Manchester
demonstrated excellent racing, with several new faces making an
appearance on the podium. During round 2 on Sunday, Kye White (GBR)
celebrated a win in Men Elite, while Manon Valentino (FRA) was the
victor in the women elite category. During Round 1 on Saturday, Men
Elite winner was Joris Daudet (FRA) with World Cycling Centre
Trainee Simone Christensen (DEN) winning in Women Elite.
The 3rd and 4th rounds of the 2019 UCI BMX
Supercross World Cup season will be held in Papendal (NED) on 11-12
May. All the relevant documents can be found on the UCI website.
Tokyo 2020 BMX Racing Test event
Following the
release of an Information Bulletin concerning the Tokyo 2020 BMX
Racing Test event, the UCI has also published this document on its
website for the benefit of National Federations. The document is
available here.
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2019
UCI BMX Freestyle Park & Flatland World Cup
A total of 57
entries for the Men Elite and a record number for the Women Elite
with 40 entries. Dominating force Hannah Roberts went down hard
during her first run in the women’s UCI BMX Freestyle Park Final,
leaving the crowd aghast and judges ruling her out of the
competition. However, she rose from the dust to rally for a massive
second run that rightly earned her first place.
Freestyle Park saw another comeback from Brandon Loupos. Having
fallen in his first run he triumphed in his second – landing trick
after trick. The eye-boggling run propelled Loupos straight to the
top with the best score.
In the first run of
the UCI BMX Flatland World, the domination was 100% Japenese.
18-year-old boy Ryo Katagiri dropped the highest score. In the
Women Elite, Misaki Katagiri stepped the highest step of the
podium. Flatland is a very popular sport in Japan so the crowd was
there to highly welcome the riders.
Highlights are
published on the UCI website.
Reminder:
Registration Deadlines / Ranking Deadlines
As the popularity of the UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup grows, it has
become necessary to introduce a basic qualification system to
ensure that the number of entries remains small enough that it is
possible to complete the schedule of each event in the time available.
This is done by limiting participation to riders with at least 50
points in the latest UCI BMX Freestyle Park Individual Ranking
before registration opens for each event. Nevertheless, riders in
the top 50 of the final UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Cup ranking of
2018 can enter each round of the 2019 UCI BMX Freestyle Park World
Cup even if they do not have 50 points as of the ranking entry
deadline.
The registration deadlines and ranking deadlines are available on
the UCI website.
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Registration procedure for 2019-2020 UCI Cyclo-cross
Teams
This year, the
registration procedure for UCI Cyclo-cross Teams will be carried
out via UCI DataRide. The system opens on 1 May 2019, with a user
guide published on this same date. Existing teams will
receive an access code and their UCI DataRide login; new teams can
contact support.ucidata@uci.ch to
obtain theirs.
2019-2020 National Cyclo-cross Championships
A number of
National Federations have yet to register their National
Championships with the UCI for the 2019-2020 season. In order for
these events to award points to riders, please complete and return
the registration form as soon as possible.
All Federations are kindly requested to inform us at offroad@uci.ch
if they intend to organise a separate race for the Women Junior
category (born in 2002 or 2003). If so, the Women Junior race must
have a separate start from all other categories and/or a different
race distance.
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2019
UCI Trials World Cup
The 2019 event
setup and section building guide, and the UCI Trials World Cup
organisation guide are now available on the UCI website.
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Online
Registration dates for World Cup rounds
Online registration
dates for the different rounds of the UCI Para-cycling Road World
Cup are available on the UCI website.
The system opened on 10 April for the round in Ostend
(BEL).
Classification
As explained during
the last Nations' Forum, held in Apeldoorn (NED), during the UCI
Para-Cycling Track World Championships, Medical Diagnostic Forms
(MDF) must be submitted to the UCI four weeks before the competition
at which the athlete will be classified. The MDF must be completed
in English, dated and signed by a certified health professional,
and accompanied by a diagnosis if required. In accordance with
article 16.4.008, participation in the classification, and
therefore in the event, may be refused if the above conditions are
not met.
In addition, we would like to remind you that in accordance with
article 16.4.002, participation in classification research is
compulsory. If the research takes place during an event, it is up
to the athletes to check if they have been chosen to participate.
If athletes do not participate, the UCI Commissaires' Panel may
impose a fine of 200 CHF.
In 2019, tests designed to collect data for classification research
will be conducted during the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup round
in Ostend (BEL) on 13-15 May, and at the UCI Para-cycling Road
World Championships in Emmen (NED) on 8-11 September.
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2019
UCI Cycle-ball World Cup
Following the first
two rounds in April, the next event in the series is on 18 May in
Mücheln (GER), the city that hosted the 2011 UCI Cycle-ball World
Cup Final.
The programme for this third round will be available on the UCI website shortly.
2019 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup
The second round of
the World Cup will be held on 25 May in Merelbeke (BEL). The
programme and documents relating to athlete registration can be
found on the UCI website.
Artistic Cycling - new world record
During the
first round of the 2019 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup, which
took place on 9 March in Prague (CZE), Milena Slupina (GER) set a
new world record in the Women Individual category. With a score of
194.31 points, she improved on the previous record held by
Germany's Iris Schwarzhaupt. World records are published on
the UCI website.
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2019
UCI Gran Fondo World Series
During the month of
May, the 2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Series will
feature two races providing athletes with an opportunity to qualify
for the 2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships taking place in
Poznan (POL) on 28 August-1 September.
The Cheaha Challenge Granfondo, which will take place in
Jacksonville (Alabama, USA) on 18-19 May, will, in 2019, feature a
new individual time trial in addition to its traditional granfondo
course.
On 25 May, the city of Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxembourg) will host the
Schleck Granfondo, where 3,000 cyclists are expected to race on the
155km or 85km routes passing through the Moselle region.
For more information about the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, please
do not hesitate to visit http://www.ucigranfondoworldseries.com/.
2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships - Wildcard
procedure
The 2019 UCI Gran
Fondo World Championships will be held in Poznan (POL) from 28
August to 1 September 2019. National Federations which are not
hosting a qualifying event prior to the 2019 UCI Grand Fondo World
Championships may apply for 10 wildcards to send their best male
and female riders to the event. Automatic qualification will also
be granted to Masters National Champions.
For full details on this process, please refer to the documents
below:
Please note that
the deadline for all wildcard requests is 31
July 2019.
For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the UCI
Cycling for All team at massevents@uci.ch.
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National
BMX Freestyle Park Judge Training Seminar
The very first
National BMX Freestyle Park Judge training seminar held in
Barcelona (ESP) on 16-17 March, was very successful with
participants coming from Belgium, France, Italy, Malaysia, Poland,
Slovakia, Russia and Spain. The purpose of this seminar was to
support National Federations with the training of national judges
in their respective countries. Having attended this seminar,
participants can now judge national and local events and can be
considered to assist the judges’ panel at any international C1
events that are registered on the UCI Calendar in their own
country.
The UCI will continue working with its partners to organise further
national and international level BMX Freestyle Park Judge training
programmes. Any developments on this front shall be announced in
this publication.
Elite
National Commissaire Courses
At the request of
Swiss Cycling, the upcoming Elite National Commissaire courses are
scheduled to take place in Switzerland (venue to be confirmed) as
follows:
- Road Elite National
Commissaire course in French: 28 November-1 December 2019
- Road Elite National
Commissaire course in English: 28 November-1 December
2019.
In order to attend
the course, candidates must be proposed by their National
Federation and be a National Commissaire licence-holder (UCI
Regulations, Article 1.1.052bis). For more detailed information
relating to the course, please contact the organiser, the Swiss
Cycling Federation, at the following address: lucas.schmid@swiss-cycling.ch
New Track Commissaires training guide
The new Commissaire
Training Guide for Track Events has been
successfully finalised and is now published on the UCI website.
This new guide aims to support National Federations to develop
training programmes for their own National Commissaires. In
addition, the same guide is being utilised to run training courses
for Track Elite National Commissaires and UCI International
Commissaires. All current National, Elite and International Track
Commissaires are encouraged to consult this document in order to
continue their professional development.
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Celebrations
mark start of cycling season in UCI Bike Region Drenthe
For Dutch UCI Bike Region Drenthe the
third week of March was a major moment on the cycling calendar.
Celebrating the official start of the cycling season, the region
organised the Op Fietse door Drenthe
(On Bikes through Drenthe) week. The UCI Cycling for All team and
UCI Management Committee member Harald Tiedemann Hansen took part
in the festivities held on 15-17 March.
A key moment during the week was the official opening of the Col du
VAM cycling hill, built on a reclaimed landfill site and reaching
an altitude of 48m - making it stand out amongst the largely flat
countryside of Drenthe. With the opening taking place during the
Drentse 8 van Westerveld race on 15 March, the hill has fast become
an iconic part of elite events in the region, and now the general
public will be able to test the steep and cobbled climbs, while
off-road tracks are being finalised at the base of the VAM. The Col
du VAM is not only an innovative cycling project, but a positive
'circular economy' project, revitalising and reusing what at first
glance appears to simply be waste. After mass participation events
enjoyed the climb on Saturday, on Sunday the UCI Women's World Tour
race, the Ronde van Drenthe, race passed over the VAM.
By incorporating elite events into the wider week-long festival of
everyday cycling, the region ensures the excitement around a race
creates a year-round legacy driving greater participation and
everyday cycling. Drenthe already has a high share of everyday
transport cycling with 29% of all trips in the province being made
by bike in 2016.
For more information regarding the Op Fietse door
Drenthe week, please visit the UCI website.
Cycling for all in Great Britain: a story of
ambition, teamwork and commitment
In April,
international cycling stars Shanaze Reade and Sarah Storey were
appointed to promote active cities and regions in Great Britain,
joining a growing network of ambassadors throughout the country.
They join Elite cyclists Lee Craigie and Chris Boardman who are
ambassadors in Scotland and Manchester respectively. The role in
London is undertaken by Will Norman.
The appointments of high-profile ambassadors are among a number of
measures aiming to get the British population moving and onto their
bikes, all supported by the National Cycling Federation, British
Cycling. Located at the HSBC UK National Cycling Centre in
Manchester, British Cycling is dedicated to growing the sport of
cycling and inspiring more people to ride their bikes more often,
be it for sport, recreation or transport.
Great Britain will host the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in
Yorkshire in September, and British Cycling is sparing no efforts
to ensure that the event gives every child in Britain the
opportunity to ride a bike, regardless of their location, cycling
ability or background. Dedicated initiatives to support this objective
include the HSBC UK Let’s Ride programme, which
enables families to cycle in a safe, friendly and traffic-free
environment; the HSBC UK Ready Set Ride, with free,
quick and fun games to teach children how to pedal; and Bikeability, based on the
government-approved National Standards for Cycle Training, which
teaches children the necessary skills to ride confidently on
today's roads.
In addition, following a generous £15 million funding commitment
from the UK Government, the Places to Ride legacy
programme will, over the next three years,
financially support the development of new – or the improvement of
existing – cycling facilities in communities across England.
The UCI Cycling for All team visited the British Cycling HQ in
March, and benefited from visits and meetings in Cambridge,
Manchester and London to understand best practices in
infrastructure development and promotion of healthy streets in the
three cities. For more information regarding the key measures
implemented by each city, please visit the UCI website.
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SPOTLIGHT ON...TOUR TAHITI
NUI
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There is nothing
like a major cycling event to motivate a population, boost tourism
and encourage more people to take up the sport.
This month we take a look at the Tour Tahiti Nui, a hugely popular
stage race in French Polynesia, which makes a major contribution to
the development of cycling in the South Pacific region. By
attracting riders from abroad, this historic event, based primarily
on the island of Tahiti, also has a positive effect on tourism.
From 14 to 20 September 2019, this seven-day stage race for
non-professional riders celebrates its 25th edition.
That represents a solid history for a small Pacific Ocean island,
which is more likely to conjure up pictures of water sports and
where the national sport is va’a (outrigger canoeing).
The Fédération Tahitienne de Cyclisme is an Associate Member of the
Oceania Cycling Confederation and counts just 280 licensed riders.
Nevertheless, every year teams from abroad converge on the island
to take part in the Tour Tahiti Nui alongside local riders.
Organised by the President of the Fédération Tahitienne de Cyclisme
Teva Bernadino, this seven-day stage race takes riders on a magical
journey across the French Polynesian islands of Tahiti, Moorea and
Bora Bora.
For this 25th edition, riders will tackle a total of
683km over seven days, including an individual time trial and two
stages with uphill finishes. Teva Bernadino is rightly proud of his
Federation’s leading event, which has attracted riders from the
USA, France, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland and Chile.
First organised in 1993 under the name Tour de l’Amitié (Tour of
Friendship), the stage race originally took place uniquely on
Tahiti. When it extended to neighbouring Moorea and the Leeward
Islands, the name changed to Tour de Polynésie before becoming the
current Tour Tahiti Nui.
Special jerseys are worn by the leaders of the General
Classification, Mountain Classification, Master’s Classification
and Women’s Classification. For the record, women have been able to
register the last three years and complete the same course as the
men.
Each year sees the introduction of new elements, and 2019 is no
exception: riders will discover three completely new stages,
including the 7th and final stage on the island of Bora
Bora.
Over the years, the Tour Tahiti Nui has revealed local talents and
attracted many riders from abroad, creating a spectacle for the
local population.
“There is local passion, and if one of our riders wins a stage or
the yellow jersey, all the public is behind him,” says Teva
Bernadino, who points out the role the Tour Tahiti Nui plays not
only for sport but for tourism.
“The Tour Tahiti Nui, Polynesia’s leading cycling event, is
certainly one of the best events uniting sport, tourism, culture
and respect of the environment. All islands have a certain charm,
but none can equal the beauty of our Polynesian islands and their
delightful scenery!
“I am particularly proud to have been able to attract new
enthusiasts to our discipline, and to combine sport with tourism,”
says the Federation President, eager for foreign riders to
experience “the sweetness of life on our islands, the hospitality
and kindness of Polynesians, the culture on our marae, Polynesian
tattoos, dances, basket weaving, pandanus hats and our blue turquoise
lagoons.”
For the future, the President would dearly like this tour in the
South Pacific to become internationally renowned and join the UCI
International calendar with UCI Class 2.2 status, giving riders a
chance to win UCI points.
Registration for the 2019 Tour Tahiti Nui is now open to men’s
teams, women’s teams and mixed teams of three to six riders. For
further information, contact: ftc@mail.pf.
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