What is the UCI?
The Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body of cycling — founded in Paris in 1900, headquartered since 2002 at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland, and uniting 200+ national federations across five continental confederations.[1]
What does the UCI govern?
Every discipline's rules and calendars; the licence system for riders and the registration of teams (WorldTour, ProTeam, Continental); the UCI rankings; anti-doping through the International Testing Agency; and world championships across road, track, mountain bike, BMX, cyclocross, gravel and esports — each crowning a rainbow-jersey world champion.[1] [2]
Who leads it?
President David Lappartient of France, first elected in 2017 and re-elected unopposed in 2025 to a third term running to 2029 — also an IOC member, tying cycling's governance to the Olympic movement.[1] [3]
Why does the UCI matter?
Every licence, team registration, ranking point and world title in cycling runs through the UCI — its rankings and results archive are the sport's official paper trail, from junior races to the rainbow jersey.[1] [2]
References
- UCI — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- UCI — inside the UCI / World Cycling Centre. Accessed August 2026.
- UCI — Lappartient re-elected UCI President (2025 Congress). Accessed August 2026.