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Union Cycliste Internationale – UCI Newsletter #59 – 01.05.2019

Union Cycliste Internationale – UCI Newsletter #59 – 01.05.2019

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

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

UCI NEWS

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.

SPORTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

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).

ROAD

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.

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 <mailto:internationalrelations@uci.ch> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=26cdf4de7b&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=b3a808e4a5&e=f900cb9bff> here.

TRACK

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 <mailto:track@uci.ch> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=5a3d002408&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=c948a9ba4b&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=c15cb027cd&e=f900cb9bff> articles 9.2.025 and 9.2.027bis.

The table summarising the opening and closing dates for UCI events can be found <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=fd8bbe6b82&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=e02316e6c3&e=f900cb9bff> UCI website.

MOUNTAIN BIKE

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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=1d5135c8d1&e=f900cb9bff> UCI website. Please ensure to check it for official schedules and deadlines related to the series.

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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=f6501020b1&e=f900cb9bff> 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: <mailto:lisa@gestev.com> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=b8b64fedff&e=f900cb9bff> UCI website. This publication contains all the relevant information pertaining to this event. Also available on the website are the <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=e49fa5b1b2&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=6934936ca5&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=119e171f8f&e=f900cb9bff> offroad@uci.ch.

For the UCI’s official statement, please consult the <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=a96d616f26&e=f900cb9bff> 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.

BMX RACING

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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=4bb04ee838&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=faed5ebd76&e=f900cb9bff> here.

BMX FREESTYLE

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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=c8ae3efee9&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=91519d80bb&e=f900cb9bff> UCI website.

CYCLO-CROSS

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 <mailto:support.ucidata@uci.ch> 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 <mailto:offroad@uci.ch> 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.

TRIALS

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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=8fda2bf22d&e=f900cb9bff> UCI website.

PARA-CYCLING

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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=947e5294d1&e=f900cb9bff> 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.

INDOOR CYCLING

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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=47e3ef0a44&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=a1bffef2d4&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=05de243270&e=f900cb9bff> UCI website.

MASS EVENTS

2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Series

During the month of May, the 2019 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=bc42d716e8&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=8c42a746b4&e=f900cb9bff> 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:

* <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=8397e879f0&e=f900cb9bff> Information letter for National Federations
* <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=23c8aa2096&e=f900cb9bff> Form for Wildcards
* <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=adcdec10ff&e=f900cb9bff> Form for Masters National Champions

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 <mailto:massevents@uci.ch> massevents@uci.ch.

COMMISSAIRES

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: <mailto:lucas.schmid@swiss-cycling.ch> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=dc76306e8c&e=f900cb9bff> 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.

Upcoming events

<https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=4b1602c10b&e=f900cb9bff> ROAD – <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=e8abebb5c9&e=f900cb9bff> TRACK – <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=ebdfb94110&e=f900cb9bff> MOUNTAIN BIKE

<https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=6ea367ede1&e=f900cb9bff> BMX RACING – <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=c101bf3075&e=f900cb9bff> BMX FREESTYLE – <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=68b67c04c6&e=f900cb9bff> PARA-CYCLING

<https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=3b5512d118&e=f900cb9bff> TRIALS – <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=8cb0a45977&e=f900cb9bff> INDOOR – <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=d154efc29d&e=f900cb9bff> CYCLO-CROSS

CYCLING FOR ALL

Celebrations mark start of cycling season in UCI Bike Region Drenthe
For Dutch <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=3cf44c65f4&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=1688653f96&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=27f11116c7&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=0192cc0eac&e=f900cb9bff> Let’s Ride programme, which enables families to cycle in a safe, friendly and traffic-free environment; the HSBC UK <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=08312bd751&e=f900cb9bff> Ready Set Ride, with free, quick and fun games to teach children how to pedal; and <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=a5655fac37&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=97523aaef3&e=f900cb9bff> 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 <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=08a089da6b&e=f900cb9bff>UCI website.

SPOTLIGHT ON…TOUR TAHITI NUI

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: <mailto:ftc@mail.pf> ftc@mail.pf.

Athletes at the UCI WCC
Road Women – UCI Women’s Team
The WCC Team is now complete, with the arrival of the eighth member, Eritrean Desiet Kidane Tekeste after taking part in the African Road Championships in Ethiopia where she won the U23 road race and individual time trial. Another team member, Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru, from Ethiopia, took 2nd place in the Elite Women’s road race and individual time trial.
Our WCC Team has got off to a promising start to the season, notably with:

* 2nd Grand Prix Féminin de Chambéry le Vieux (France) for Teniel Campbell (TTO)
* 5th Danilith Nokere Koerse voor Dames (Belgium) for Teniel Campbell
* 1st and 3rd, GP Neuville les Dames (France) for Marlen Reusser (SUI) and Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru ETH)

Earlier This month, the team travelled to Thailand for the three-day Princess Maha Chackri Sirindhorn’s Cup „Tour of Thailand“. Teniel Campbell took a magnificent second place overall thanks to a stage win, a second place and a third place. Marlen Reusser was fifth in the overall individual classification, while the WCC Team finished the three days of racing third in the team classification. Congratulations also to our former Japanese trainee Yumi Kajihara who was third in the overall individual classification.

Road Men
The Men’s road group is still going through a period of assessment to select the most talented riders to train for the 2019 UCI Road World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Currently seven athletes from six countries (Eritrea, Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Morocco, Kazakhstan) are training in Aigle.

Congratulations to Eritrean Henok Mulueberhan, who won the U23 road race at the African Road Championships.

Track
Nine athletes from as many countries (Barbados, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Surinam, Thailand) make up the current track cycling group, including two women who performed very well at the 2019 UCI Track World Championships presented by Tissot in Pruskow (POL):

* Amber Joseph (BAR), 7th Scratch
* Miriam Vece (ITA), 8th 500 m TT.

Two women Korean athletes and their coach are on a three-month training camp in Aigle as part of their qualification campaign for Tokyo 2020.

BMX

The BMX group comprises 10 athletes (four women and six men) from eight countries (Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Great Britain, Japan, South Africa, Thailand). Five are high level athletes and five are on a development programme. Recent results of note include:

* 3rd BMX Manchester Open (GBR) for Simone Tetsche Christensen (DEN)
* 3nd European Cup in Verona (ITA) for Ellie Featherstone (Junior race, Round 1)
* 1st UCI BMX Supercross World Cup round 1 in Manchester (GBR) for Simone Tetsche Christensen (DEN)

Mountain Bike
Two trainees from Thailand, Warinthorn Phetpraphan and Natalie Panyawan, are being joined between April and June by six other athletes including two who have won their respective national championships: Angie Lara Zarazo (COL) and Alex Miller (NAM), also recent bronze medallist at the African Continental Championships. It is encouraging to see that this Mountain Bike group is mostly made up of women (seven women and one man).

Training at the UCI WCC in Aigle and Worldwide
UCI WCC in Aigle
Mechanics
After two courses for mechanics (level 1 and level 2) held in March, the same formula has been organised in April:
11 – 14 April, level 1
15 – 27 April, level 2
Three other courses with different formats are scheduled this year. For further information and registration, please consult the UCI website under the “ <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=a6d163b52d&e=f900cb9bff> Mechanic training courses” section.

Athlete welfare – Riders’ Assistant
The first course on 7 – 9 March was attended by the 10 women on the coaching and mechanic course. This course will be offered to our National Federations from October 2019. Please <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=b06d1be9dd&e=f900cb9bff> consult the UCI website for more information and exact dates.

Sport Directors
The Sport Directors course will run from 11 to 15 November 2019. Please consult <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=73c92d31b3&e=f900cb9bff> the UCI website for further information.

Riders’ Agents
The Riders’ Agents exam will take place on 17 June 2019. Please refer to the <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=50796a4773&e=f900cb9bff> UCI website for further details.

Coaching courses
Registration is open for our next courses in our Coach Development Programme:

* Level 3 (Diploma): 9 July – 2 August
* Level 3 (Diploma): 1-25 October
* Level 1 & 2 including mechanics level 1: 18 – 30 November.

Registration is available on the <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=94ad5550e6&e=f900cb9bff> UCI website under the “Courses and internship for coaches at the WCC” section.

Abroad
Courses are also regularly organised at the request of National Federations in their own countries. Such courses held so far this year or about to be held include:

Coaches

* Thailand: January, level 1 MTB – financed by NF – 30 participants including 6 women
* Japan: February, level 1&2 MTB – financed by NF – 12 participants including 3 women
* Albania: March, level 2 road – financed by Olympic Solidarity – 7 participants
* Mexico: March, level 1 all disciplines – financed by UCI Solidarity – 9 participants including 1 woman
* Hong-Kong: April, level 2 BMX – financed by NF
* New Zealand: May, level 1 & 2 plus mechanics level 1 – financed by NF

Mechanics
China: January, level 1
March, level 1

The courses in China are run by Yuan Hui Dong who gained his Level 3 mechanics certification at the UCI World Cycling Centre in 2016. Now he <https://uci.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=82a7a36eaec514dacee51a77d&id=3b00b8cad9&e=f900cb9bff> regularly trains students at his premises at Luoyang Bicycle Training Centre.