Union Cycliste Internationale facts for kids
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Headquarters
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| Abbreviation | UCI |
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| Formation | 14 April 1900 |
| Founded at | Paris, France |
| Type | Sports federation |
| Headquarters | Aigle, Switzerland |
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Region served
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Worldwide |
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President
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David Lappartient |
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Main organ
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Congress |
| Affiliations | International Olympic Committee |
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), also known as the International Cycling Union, is the main group that manages sports cycling around the world. It is like the boss for all international cycling races. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
The UCI gives out special licenses to riders who want to race. It also makes sure everyone follows the rules, especially rules against cheating like doping. The UCI also decides how races are ranked and how points are given out. This includes many types of cycling like road racing, track cycling, mountain biking, and BMX. They manage events for both men and women, and for both amateur and professional riders. The UCI also organizes the big World Championships.
After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UCI decided that teams from Russia and Belarus could not compete in international events. They also moved any planned events out of Russia and Belarus.
Contents
How the UCI Started
The UCI was created in 1900 in Paris, France. It was started by cycling groups from Belgium, the United States, France, Italy, and Switzerland. Before the UCI, there was another group called the International Cycling Association (ICA). The UCI took its place because of a disagreement. The old group had a rule about how many teams Great Britain could have at the World Championships. The UCI changed this, and Britain joined the UCI in 1903.
When it first started, 30 countries were part of the UCI. Not all countries had the same number of votes. Some had no vote at all. The number of votes a country had depended on how many cycling tracks, or velodromes, they had. France had the most votes with 18. Germany and Italy each had 14 votes.
In 1965, the UCI made two smaller groups. This happened because the IOC (which runs the Olympics) wanted to keep amateur and professional cyclists separate. So, the UCI created:
- The International Amateur Cycling Federation (FIAC) for amateur riders.
- The International Professional Cycling Federation (FICP) for professional riders.
The UCI then helped coordinate both of these groups. The FIAC was in Rome, and the FICP was in Luxembourg. The main UCI office was in Geneva.
The FIAC was much larger, with 127 member groups from all over the world. Most of its members were amateur groups. The FIAC was in charge of cycling events at the Olympic Games. Amateur and professional cyclists rarely raced against each other. In 1992, the UCI brought the FIAC and FICP back together. They all became one big UCI again. The main office then moved to Aigle, Switzerland.
In 2004, the UCI built a 200-meter velodrome (a special track for cycling) right next to its headquarters. This is part of the new World Cycling Centre.
In 2007, the UCI announced that a race outside of Europe would get a special "ProTour" status for the first time. This was the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia.
In 2013, Tracey Gaudry became the first woman to be a vice president of the UCI.
World Championships
The UCI organizes the World Championships for cycling. These big events are given to different countries to host. The first championships were for road racing and track cycling. Countries had to show they could host the event well and sell enough tickets.
Winners of a UCI World Championship get a special rainbow jersey. This jersey is white with five colored stripes across the chest. A rider can only wear this jersey when competing in the same type of cycling event they won. They can wear it until the next World Championship for that event. Former champions are allowed to wear rainbow colors on the cuffs and collar of their cycling clothes.
Cycling Records
The UCI also keeps track of world records in cycling. These records were first set on the track. They included records for different types of bikes, like single bikes, tandems (bikes for two people), and unusual machines like recumbents (bikes where the rider lies down). Records were measured in both imperial and metric distances.
The UCI made some rules about bikes. For example, they banned recumbents from competitions and record attempts in 1934. Later, they added rules about how riders could position themselves on the bike. In 2000, they banned bike frames that did not have a seat tube (the part of the frame that holds the seat).
UCI Leaders
The UCI has had many presidents over the years. You can find a full list at List of Presidents of the UCI.
Types of Cycling
The UCI manages many different types of cycling.
Road Racing
Road racing happens on regular roads.
Men's Road Racing
The UCI organizes the UCI Road World Championships for men. The road race started in 1921, and the time trial started in 1994. The UCI also manages the top-level races called the UCI World Tour and the next level, the UCI ProSeries. The best men's teams are called UCI WorldTeams, and they must race in all UCI World Tour events.
From 1989 to 2004, the UCI ran the UCI Road World Cup. This was a series of major one-day professional races throughout the year. In 2005, it was replaced by the UCI ProTour. This new series included the biggest stage races like the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España. Later, these big races left the ProTour. In 2011, the ProTour and another ranking system merged to become the UCI World Tour.
To help professional road bicycle racing grow around the world, the UCI also created the UCI Continental Circuits. These are series of races for different regions of the world.
Women's Road Racing
The UCI also organizes the UCI Road World Championships for women. The women's road race started in 1959, and the time trial started in 1994. The UCI manages the top-level races for women called the UCI Women's World Tour. The best women's teams are called UCI Women's WorldTeams, and they are invited to all UCI World Tour races.
From 1998 to 2015, the UCI Women's Road World Cup was a series of top one-day races. In 2016, this was replaced by the UCI Women's World Tour. This new series includes both stage races and one-day events.
Track Cycling
Track cycling happens on special indoor or outdoor tracks called velodromes. The UCI Track Cycling World Championships offers individual and team titles for men and women in many track cycling events. The UCI Track Cycling World Cup is a series of elite-level races held throughout the season.
Para-cycling Track
The UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships are for cyclists with disabilities. They offer individual and team titles for men and women in different track cycling events.
Cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross is a type of bicycle racing that involves riding on a mix of paved and off-road surfaces. Riders often have to get off their bikes and carry them over obstacles. Each UCI-sponsored event is part of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. There are also single-day events each year to find the Cyclo-cross World Champion at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships.
Mountain Bike Racing
Mountain bike racing happens on rough, off-road trails. The UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships is the most important mountain bike competition each year. This event includes races like cross-country and downhill. It also has world championship events for bike trials riding. In 2012, the first cross-country eliminator world championship was held.
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is a series of races held every year since 1991.
BMX Racing
BMX racing (Bicycle Motocross) is a type of cycling where riders race on a dirt track with jumps and obstacles. The season-long competition is called the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup. The UCI BMX World Championships is the one-day world championship for BMX racing.
Trials
Trials cycling is a sport where riders show off their balance and control. They ride bikes over difficult obstacles without putting their feet down. Speed is also important.
The first UCI Trials World Championships happened in 1986. In 2000, the UCI Trials World Cup started. Riders from Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland have won the most World Champion titles. The UCI Trials World Youth Games is a big international event for boys and girls under 16. It first took place in 2000.
Indoor Cycling
The UCI also supports world championships for artistic cycling and cycle ball. These events happen every year at the UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships.
UCI Members
The UCI works with cycling groups from different continents and countries.
Continental Groups
National cycling groups form bigger groups based on their continent:
- Asian Cycling Confederation – ACC
- Union Européenne de Cyclisme – UEC (European Cycling Union)
- Oceania Cycling Confederation – OCC
- Confederación Panamericana de Ciclismo – COPACI (Pan American Cycling Confederation)
- Confédération Africaine de Cyclisme – CAC (African Cycling Confederation)
National Groups
You can see a list of all the national cycling groups that are members of the UCI at.
See also
In Spanish: Unión Ciclista Internacional para niños
- The Cyclists' Alliance
