UCI — Union Cycliste Internationale

What is the UCI?

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI; in WADA’s English listing, the International Cycling Union) is the international federation for cycling.^[5] Olympedia records that it was founded in Paris on 14 April 1900 and that it has been based in Aigle, Switzerland, since 2002.^[1]

The disciplines the UCI’s own site is organised around are road, track, mountain bike, BMX racing, BMX freestyle, trials, cyclo-cross, indoor cycling and para cycling.^[2] Olympedia files the UCI against six Olympic disciplines: track, road, mountain bike, BMX racing, BMX freestyle and bicycle polo.^[1]

The UCI is governed by its Congress of national federations and a Management Committee. The 194th Congress, held in Kigali, Rwanda, in September 2025, re-elected David Lappartient of France — who has led the UCI since September 2017 and was re-elected in September 2021 — to a third four-year term; he was “the only candidate for the Presidency” and “was re-elected by acclamation”.^[3]

What does the UCI govern or do?

Disciplines and world titles. The UCI’s own site is organised around nine disciplines: road, track, mountain bike, BMX racing, BMX freestyle, trials, cyclo-cross, indoor cycling and para cycling.^[2] Its world champions race in the rainbow jersey: Cycling Canada, reporting the 2026 road world championships, described riders competing “for the coveted rainbow jerseys across 13” events.^[7] The 2025 Congress chose the hosts of 13 UCI World Championships, spread across ten countries, through 2032.^[3]

Governance decisions. The same Congress elected 11 new Management Committee members and four vice-presidents, approved the 2024 Annual Report — which, the UCI reported, showed reserves exceeding 50 million Swiss francs — and approved the 2026 budget.^[3]

Anti-doping. The International Testing Agency states that “The UCI delegated to the ITA its operational anti-doping program in January 2021”, and that the ITA set up a dedicated Cycling Unit, fully operational from 1 January 2021, covering all cycling disciplines. The services delegated include in- and out-of-competition testing, intelligence and investigations, the athlete biological passport, therapeutic use exemptions and whereabouts; results management was delegated in January 2026.^[6] See anti-doping.

When was the UCI founded and where is it based?

Founding. Olympedia records: “The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) was founded on 14 April 1900, in Paris, France, with five founding members: Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the United States.” It describes the new body as an alternative to the International Cycling Association (ICA), formed over structural inequities and disputes about amateurism.^[1]

Split and reunification. Olympedia records that “In 1965, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) required the UCI to split into an amateur and a professional organization, resulting in the creation of the Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC) and the Fédération Internationale de Cyclisme Professionnel (FICP), respectively.” It adds: “In 1992, the FIAC and FICP rejoined within the UCI.”^[1]

Seat. “The UCI headquarters transferred from Lausanne to Aigle, Switzerland, in 2002, along with the inauguration of the UCI World Cycling Centre there,” Olympedia records.^[1] The UCI gives its address as Allée Ferdi Kübler 12, 1860 Aigle, Switzerland.^[8] The text of the UCI Constitution, which would state the legal seat, could not be retrieved from the UCI’s site.

How is the UCI recognised?

IOC and the Olympic Games. Olympedia files the UCI against six Olympic disciplines — track, road, mountain bike, BMX racing, BMX freestyle and bicycle polo.^[1] Olympedia records that it was the IOC that required the 1965 split of the UCI into amateur and professional bodies, reunited in 1992.^[1] The date of the IOC’s original recognition of the UCI could not be established from a retrieved primary source.

ASOIF. The UCI is one of the 30 full members listed by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, under the name Union Cycliste Internationale.^[4]

WADA. WADA’s list of Code signatories includes “International Cycling Union (UCI)” among the international federations that are ASOIF members.^[5] Its operational programme has been run by the International Testing Agency since January 2021.^[6]

Paralympic sport. Para cycling is listed by the UCI among its own disciplines, beside road, track and the other Olympic disciplines.^[2] See para sport governance for how responsibility is divided between international federations and the International Paralympic Committee.

What does the UCI organise?

UCI Road World Championships. The 2025 Road World Championships, in Kigali, Rwanda, were the first held on the African continent; the UCI’s 194th Congress met there.^[3] The 2026 edition took place in Montréal, Canada, from 20 to 27 September 2026, with, by Cycling Canada’s count, more than 1,000 riders in the senior, under-23 and junior categories, from more than 75 nations, contesting 13 events.^[7]

Future world championships. In September 2025 the Congress allocated 13 UCI World Championships to hosts in ten countries, through 2032.^[3]

World Cycling Centre. The UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle was inaugurated in 2002 alongside the headquarters.^[1]

Olympic Games. Olympedia files cycling’s Olympic events under the six disciplines it assigns to the UCI.^[1] For LA28 the organising committee lists four road events — men’s and women’s road races and individual time trials — with starts at Venice Beach Boardwalk (road race) and the LA Zoo (time trial) and a finish at Griffith Observatory.^[9]

Who are its members?

National federations. At the 194th Congress in Kigali in September 2025, the Kingdom of Tonga’s national federation was approved for affiliation, and the UCI reported that “The number of National Federations affiliated to the UCI now stands at 206”; 117 member federations were represented at that Congress.^[3] Olympedia, independently, records that “As of January 2026, the UCI has 206 member national federations and four associate members”.^[1]

Founding members. The five founding members in 1900 were the federations of Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland and the United States.^[1]

Continental confederations. The national federations are grouped in five continental confederations — African, Asian, European, Oceanian and Pan-American — whose presidents sit ex officio on the UCI Management Committee beside the members elected by Congress.^[3]

Representation. Each national federation is a member of the UCI in its own right and is represented at Congress, the body that elects the president; the 2025 election took place with 117 federations represented.^[3]