Union Cycliste Internationale
Encyclopedia
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) (International Cycling Union) is the world governing body
for sports cycling
and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle
, Switzerland
.
The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces disciplinary rules, such as in matters of doping
. The UCI also manages the classification of races and the points ranking system in various cycling disciplines including mountain biking
, road
and track cycling
, for both men and women, amateur and professional. It also oversees the World Championships
.
by the national cycling organisations of Belgium
, the United States
, France
, Italy
, and Switzerland
. It replaced the International Cycling Association
by setting up in opposition in a row over whether Great Britain
should be allowed just one team at world championships or separate teams representing Scotland
, Wales
and Ireland
. Britain found itself outflanked and it was not able to join the UCI - under the conditions the UCI had imposed - until 1903.
In 1965, under the pressure of the IOC (the Olympics was then an amateur event), the UCI created two subsidiary bodies, the International Amateur Cycling Federation (Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme or FIAC) and the International Professional Cycling Federation (Fédération Internationale de Cyclisme Professionnel or FICP). The UCI assumed a role coordinating both bodies.
The FIAC was based in Rome
, the FICP in Luxembourg
, and the UCI in Geneva
.
The FIAC was the bigger of the two organisations, with 127 member federations across all five continents. It was dominated by the countries of the Eastern bloc
which were amateur. The FIAC arranged representation of cycling at the Olympic Games
, and FIAC cyclists competed against FICP members on only rare occasions.
In 1992, the UCI reunified the FIAC and FICP, and merged them back into the UCI. The combined organisation then relocated to Aigle, close to the IOC in Lausanne.
In 2004, the UCI constructed a new 200 metre velodrome
at the new World Cycling Centre adjacent to its headquarters.
coloured white, with 5 coloured bands on the chest. This jersey can be worn in the relevant type of competition, until the next world champion is selected the following year. It is a highly coveted symbol.
on 1 April 1934, various bans applied to Graeme Obree
in the 1990s and the banning in 2000 of all frames that did not have a seat tube from events.
The UCI was accused of accepting a bribe in the 1990s to introduce the keirin
, a track cycling race, into the Olympics. An investigation by the BBC claims that the UCI was paid approximately $3,000,000 by Japanese sources to add the race to the Olympic programme, something denied by the UCI.
When Floyd Landis
confessed to using performance enhancing drugs throughout his career in May 2010, he alleged that the UCI had accepted a bribe from Lance Armstrong
to cover up an EPO positive after the 2001 Tour de Suisse.
series which initially included the Grand Tour
road cycling stage races (the Tour de France
, Giro d'Italia
and Vuelta a España
) and a wider range of other one-day and stage races. However the three Grand Tour races withdrew from the series, and in July 2008 all the major professional teams threatened to quit the series, putting its future in doubt.http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hR3PvasJtiNrdSGTLQe8-JMs-8mQ The ProTour was replaced as a ranking system the following year by the UCI World Ranking
, which added the three Grand Tours
, two early season stage races, and five more one-day classics
to the 14 remaining ProTour events.
To expand the participation and popularity of professional road bicycle racing
throughout the globe, the UCI develop a series of races collectively known as the UCI Continental Circuits
for each region of the world.
Since 1998, the UCI Women's Road World Cup has served as a season-long competition of elite-level one-day and stage race events.
disciplines.
The UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
for men and women offers individual and team championships in several track cycling
disciplines.
.
, the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships is the most important and prestigious competition each year. This includes the disciplines of cross-country
, downhill
and four-cross
. In addition, this event consists of world championship events for bike trials riding.
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
is a series of races, held annually since 1991.
At the 2011 World Championships held in Champéry, Switzerland the UCI announced a controversial new sponsorship deal with the previously unheard of RockyRoads Network.
serves as the one-day world championships for BMX racing
(bicycle motorcross) cycling.
and cycle ball
at an annual event known as the UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
.
s form confederation
s by continent
:
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
for sports cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle
Aigle
Aigle is the capital of the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The town has a population of 8,100 people.The name of this municipality in French means eagle.-Geography:...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces disciplinary rules, such as in matters of doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
. The UCI also manages the classification of races and the points ranking system in various cycling disciplines including mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, road
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
and track cycling
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
, for both men and women, amateur and professional. It also oversees the World Championships
World Cycling Championship
The UCI Road World Championships, often referred to as the World Cycling Championships, is the annual world championship for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale . The UCI Road World Championships include championships for elite men's road race and individual time trial...
.
History
The UCI was founded on 14 April 1900 in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by the national cycling organisations of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It replaced the International Cycling Association
International Cycling Association
The International Cycling Association was the first international body for cycle racing. It started in 1892 to establish a common definition of amateurism and to organise world championships...
by setting up in opposition in a row over whether Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
should be allowed just one team at world championships or separate teams representing Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Britain found itself outflanked and it was not able to join the UCI - under the conditions the UCI had imposed - until 1903.
In 1965, under the pressure of the IOC (the Olympics was then an amateur event), the UCI created two subsidiary bodies, the International Amateur Cycling Federation (Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme or FIAC) and the International Professional Cycling Federation (Fédération Internationale de Cyclisme Professionnel or FICP). The UCI assumed a role coordinating both bodies.
The FIAC was based in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, the FICP in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, and the UCI in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
The FIAC was the bigger of the two organisations, with 127 member federations across all five continents. It was dominated by the countries of the Eastern bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
which were amateur. The FIAC arranged representation of cycling at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, and FIAC cyclists competed against FICP members on only rare occasions.
In 1992, the UCI reunified the FIAC and FICP, and merged them back into the UCI. The combined organisation then relocated to Aigle, close to the IOC in Lausanne.
In 2004, the UCI constructed a new 200 metre velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
at the new World Cycling Centre adjacent to its headquarters.
Jersey Of Champions
The winner of a world title is awarded the famous "Rainbow" jerseyRainbow jersey
The Rainbow jersey is the distinctive jersey worn by the reigning world champion in a bicycle racing discipline. The jersey is predominantly white with five horizontal bands in the UCI colours around the chest. From the bottom up the colours are: green, yellow, black, red and blue; the same colours...
coloured white, with 5 coloured bands on the chest. This jersey can be worn in the relevant type of competition, until the next world champion is selected the following year. It is a highly coveted symbol.
Controversy
The UCI has been involved in a number of controversies associated with its decisions on the eligibility of bicycles, particularly, the banning of recumbentsRecumbent bicycle
A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons; the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks...
on 1 April 1934, various bans applied to Graeme Obree
Graeme Obree
Graeme Obree is a Scottish racing cyclist who twice broke the world hour record, in July 1993 and April 1994, and was the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995. He was known for his unusual riding positions and for the "Old Faithful" bicycle he built which included parts from a...
in the 1990s and the banning in 2000 of all frames that did not have a seat tube from events.
The UCI was accused of accepting a bribe in the 1990s to introduce the keirin
Keirin
is a track cycling event in which racing cyclists sprint for victory. Keirin originated in Japan in 1948; the first Olympic competitions in the sport occurred in 2000....
, a track cycling race, into the Olympics. An investigation by the BBC claims that the UCI was paid approximately $3,000,000 by Japanese sources to add the race to the Olympic programme, something denied by the UCI.
When Floyd Landis
Floyd Landis
Floyd Landis is an American retired cyclist who after initially being awarded victory in the 2006 Tour de France was stripped of his title for a doping offense. He was an all-around rider, with special skills in climbing and time-trialing, and is also known to be a very fast descender.Landis...
confessed to using performance enhancing drugs throughout his career in May 2010, he alleged that the UCI had accepted a bribe from Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
to cover up an EPO positive after the 2001 Tour de Suisse.
International governing body
Men
From 1989 until 2004, the UCI administered the UCI Road World Cup, a season-long competition incorporating all the major one-day professional road races. In 2005 this was replaced by the UCI ProTourUCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
series which initially included the Grand Tour
Grand Tour (cycling)
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
road cycling stage races (the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
and Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
) and a wider range of other one-day and stage races. However the three Grand Tour races withdrew from the series, and in July 2008 all the major professional teams threatened to quit the series, putting its future in doubt.http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hR3PvasJtiNrdSGTLQe8-JMs-8mQ The ProTour was replaced as a ranking system the following year by the UCI World Ranking
UCI World Ranking
The UCI World Tour is the premier annual male elite road cycling tour. It refers to both the tour of 27 events and an annual ranking system based upon performances in these...
, which added the three Grand Tours
Grand Tour (cycling)
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
, two early season stage races, and five more one-day classics
Classic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
to the 14 remaining ProTour events.
To expand the participation and popularity of professional road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
throughout the globe, the UCI develop a series of races collectively known as the UCI Continental Circuits
UCI Continental Circuits
The UCI Continental Circuits are road bicycle racing competitions contested under the auspices of the Union Cycliste Internationale . The five circuits are inferior to the UCI ProTour. Both the ProTour and the circuits comprise a series of races in which various cycling teams compete regularly...
for each region of the world.
Women
The UCI has supported elite level competition for women since 1959 including the crowning of a Women's World Cycling Champion (Road Race) and beginning in 1994, honoring a Women's World Time Trial Champion at the UCI Road World Championships, Women event.Since 1998, the UCI Women's Road World Cup has served as a season-long competition of elite-level one-day and stage race events.
Track cycling
The UCI Track World Championships for men and women offers individual and team championships in several track cyclingTrack cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
disciplines.
Para-cycling Track
The UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
The UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships are the world championships for track cycling where athletes with a physical disability compete, organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale ....
for men and women offers individual and team championships in several track cycling
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
disciplines.
Cyclo-cross
Each UCI-sponsored event feeds into the season-long competition known as the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. In addition, a series of single-day events are held each year to determine the Cyclo-cross World Champion at the UCI Cyclo-cross World ChampionshipsUCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
The UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships sponsored by the Union Cycliste Internationale consists of both a men's and women's cyclo-cross world championship:* Men - UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships – Men's elite race...
.
Mountain bike racing
In mountain bike racingMountain bike racing
The Union Cycliste Internationale recognised the sport of mountain bike racing relatively late in 1990, when it sanctioned the world championships in Purgatory, Colorado. The first mountain biking world cup series took place in 1991. Its nine-race circuit covered two continents—Europe and North...
, the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships is the most important and prestigious competition each year. This includes the disciplines of cross-country
Cross-country cycling
Cross-country cycling is the most common discipline of mountain biking. While less publicized than downhill cycling as it is more difficult to televise, it garners the highest levels of participation both recreationally and competitively....
, downhill
Downhill cycling
Downhill biking is a gravity-assisted time trial mountain biking event. Riders race against the clock, usually starting at intervals of 30 seconds , on courses which typically take two to five minutes to complete. Riders come from all around the world. Riders are timed with equipment similar to...
and four-cross
Four-cross
Four-cross , also called Mountain-cross, not to be confused with Fourcross, is a relatively new style of mountain bike racing where four bikers race downhill on a prepared, BMX like, track, simply trying to get down first. These bikes are generally either full suspension with 3 to 4 inches of...
. In addition, this event consists of world championship events for bike trials riding.
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
Mountain Bike World Cup
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is a multi-round mountain bike racing series that is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The first World Cup series – which was composed of cross-country events – was held in 1989. The Downhill World Cup was inaugurated two years later, and the Dual...
is a series of races, held annually since 1991.
At the 2011 World Championships held in Champéry, Switzerland the UCI announced a controversial new sponsorship deal with the previously unheard of RockyRoads Network.
BMX racing
The season-long competition is known as the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup and the UCI BMX World ChampionshipsUCI BMX World Championships
UCI BMX World Championships are the world championships for BMX racing held under the regulations of the Union Cycliste Internationale , the sport's international governing body....
serves as the one-day world championships for BMX racing
BMX racing
BMX racing is a type of off-road bicycle racing. The format of BMX was derived from motocross racing. BMX bicycle races are sprint races on purpose-built off-road single-lap race tracks. The track usually small a starting gate for up to eight racers, a groomed, serpentine, dirt race course made of...
(bicycle motorcross) cycling.
Indoor cycling
The UCI sponsors world championships for artistic cyclingArtistic cycling
Artistic cycling is a form of competitive indoor cycling in which athletes perform tricks for points on specialized, fixed-gear bikes in a format similar to ballet or gymnastics...
and cycle ball
Cycle ball
Cycle ball, also known as "radball" , is a sport similar to football played on bicycles. The two people on each team ride a fixed gear bicycle with no brakes or freewheel. The ball is controlled by the bike and the head, except when defending the goal.The sport was introduced in 1893 by a...
at an annual event known as the UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
The UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the disciplines and distances in Artistic cycling and a tournament of cycle ball. The World Championships are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale.-Men:-Women:...
.
Continental confederations
The national federationFederation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
s form confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
s by continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
:
- Asian Cycling ConfederationAsian Cycling ConfederationThe national federations of the UCI form confederations by continent. In Asia, this body is the Asian Cycling Confederation, also shortened to ACC.- Presidents of the Asian Cycling Confederation :-Member Federations:- External links :*...
– ACC - Union Européenne de CyclismeUnion Européenne de CyclismeThe national federations of the UCI form confederations by continent.In Europe, this body is the Union Européenne de Cyclisme , also shortened to UEC.-Member Federations:...
– UEC (European Cycling Union) - Oceanian Cycling ConfederationOceanian Cycling ConfederationThe national federations of the UCI form confederations by continent.In Oceania, this body is the Oceanian Cycling Confederation, also shortened to OCC.-Member Federations:...
– OCC - Confederacion Panamericana de CiclismoConfederacion Panamericana de CiclismoThe national federations of the UCI form confederations by continent. In the Americas, this body is the Confederación Panamericana de Ciclismo , also shortened to COPACI....
– COPACI (Pan American Cycling Confederation) - Confederation Africaine de CyclismeConfederation Africaine de CyclismeThe national federations of the UCI form confederations by continent.In Africa, this body is the Confederation Africaine de Cyclisme , also shortened to CAC.-Member Federations:...
– CAC (African Cycling Confederation)