Dear members,
When I took office some seven months ago, and as announced in my programme, I created the Solidarity and Small Countries Commission. It is with great pleasure that I inform you that this Commission met in early April and has made concrete recommendations to the UCI Management Committee, that will meet up in mid-June, on how to best support projects for developing cycling across all disciplines, and at all levels, in countries most in need. Another of the Commission’s missions is to reflect on and provide guidelines for the creation of UCI World Championships for “smaller countries,” and to foster greater overall cooperation between country members. I thank members of the Commission who came from the five continents to attend the meeting, in particular the Commission’s President, UCI Vice-President Dr. Wagih Azzam. I would also like to thank the French Cycling Federation President, Mr. Michel Callot and his team for hosting this Commission meeting at their headquarters during the first round of the 2018 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. The Commission will next meet during the UCI Congress in Innsbruck, Austria, where a Solidarity Conference will be held for all National Federations. Registration to attend the 2018 UCI Congress is now open, and I look forward to having the opportunity to meet you all at the Congress and the 2018 UCI Road World Championships.

Otherwise, this month, I attended the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, where 17 Commonwealth countries were represented at the Anna Meares Velodrome (track cycling and track para-cycling), 27 nations in the road time trial, 34 in road racing and 15 in mountain bike. Records were broken in the women’s sprint and individual pursuit and there was also outstanding racing in the men’s individual pursuit among others. I applaud the Australian Government, Queensland Government, the City of Gold Coast, the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia for such a successful delivery of the XXI Commonwealth Games. Thanks also to Oceania Cycling Confederation President, Ms. Tracey Gaudry, for facilitating numerous meetings with local sport authorities and National Olympic Committees of the Pacific region to discuss cycling development on the continent.

Other travel news I would like to share with you includes my visit to Bangkok, Thailand, where I met with the Thai Cycling Association (TCA) President, General Decha Hemkasri. We discussed some exceptional future projects for cycling development in Thailand. I would like to seize this occasion to congratulate the TCA for its successful delivery of the 2018 Tour of Thailand. I continued my visit by attending numerous International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Association of Summer Olympic international Federations (ASOIF) sessions at the SportAccord Convention in Bangkok where I met with cities interested in welcoming cycling races, along with other key stakeholders of the sports industry. In the last few days of April, I attended the 2018 Mountain Bike Continental Championships in Cairo, Egypt, where athletes from 14 African countries participated. I congratulate the Egyptian Cycling Federation and the Confédération Africaine de Cyclisme (CAC) for their efforts to further develop this discipline on the African Continent.

Furthermore, as you may know, the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s WorldTour are well and truly in full swing after some thrilling racing in the Spring Classics and the Ardennes Classics in the lead up to some prestigious stage races. This period of racing was, however, marred by the tragic death of Mr. Michael Goolaerts, who suffered a medical incident during Paris-Roubaix, France. This talented Belgian athlete, member of the UCI Professional Continental team Veranda’s Willems – Crelan, left us too soon and our sincere sympathy goes to his family, friends and team.

In other racing, I was very pleased to see our UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships taking place in the Velodromo Municipal do Rio, stage of the track cycling events at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. From both a legacy and sporting point of view, the four days of competition (March 22-25) were a great success. Seventeen of the 30 participating nations saw at least one of their athletes receive a medal.
I couldn’t go further without mentioning the first round of the UCI BMX Freestyle Park and Flatland World Cup, which took the Japanese crowds in Hiroshima by storm the first weekend of April. As you know, we recently integrated BMX Freestyle Flatland into the disciplines governed by the UCI, and I am delighted that we have already been able to include it in the existing and already popular UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Cup.

As I mentioned in my message last month, we held a press conference on 21 March to unveil detection methods we will use this season to counter technological fraud. Our mobile x-ray unit, as well as other innovative detection methods that are in development, incited a great deal of interest and I am sure that our investment and efforts will help prove that our riders do not have motors in their bikes.

Lastly, the implementation of an independent regulatory medical monitoring system and the establishment of a comprehensive health assessment scheme to better assist athletes have been key components of my programme. As a result, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Xavier Bigard as UCI Medical Director for this mission. His incredible experience and expertise in sports medicine and related research will be an enormous asset to the UCI when it comes to athletes’ health.

David Lappartient
UCI President

News

Sports :
General – Calendar procedure 2019 – 2019/2020

Road – 2018 UCI Road World Championships – Qualification System – UCI Team Time Trial – Olympic Qualification System
Track – UCI Calendar: Reminder – 2018 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Aigle (SUI): Online registration/Quota – 2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles (USA): Competition program and categories – 2018/2019 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup – 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships: Eligibility – Olympic Qualification System
Mountain Bike – 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup: XCC Information and Updated Schedule Albstadt and Nove Mesto – Report on 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Losinj (CRO) – Calendar event organisation guide – Olympic Qualification System
BMX Racing – Livestream: 2018 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Round 3 to 6 – 2018 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Papendal (NED): 2nd Round reminder registration deadline – 2019-2020 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup bid deadline – 2018 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Heusden-Zolder (BEL): 3rd Round reminder registration deadline – 2018 UCI BMX World Championships in Baku (AZE): Competition Guide and UCI BMX Forum – Olympic Qualification System
BMX Freestyle – 2018 UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup in Japan: report – UCI BMX Freestyle App – Olympic Qualification System
Cyclo-cross – Registration procedure for 2018/2019 UCI Cyclo-cross Teams – 2018/2019 National Cyclo-cross Championships
Trials – 2018 UCI Trials World Cup schedules and General Race Parameters – 2018 UCI Trials World Youth Games schedule and General Race Parameters – 2018 World Cup and World Youth Games Organisers’ Seminar
Para-Cycling – 2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Ostend (BEL) – 2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Emmen (NED) – Para-cycling Commission meeting on 26 March 2018
Indoor – 2018 UCI Cycle-ball World Cup – 2018 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup – 2018 UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships – Registration procedure – 2019 UCI calendars
Mass events – 2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships: Wildcard procedure – 2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Series: April and May events

Cycling for all – UCI Bike Region Yorkshire

Spotlight on…Benin

UCI WCC Corner

We remind National Federations to consult their dedicated Extranet on a regular basis. Besides offering the possibility of registering their events on the international calendar or their athletes for different UCI events, theNational Federations Extranet provides access to numerous administrative and practical documents. It also contains all previous editions of the newsletter.

NEWS

Registration for the UCI Congress 2018 is now open. We kindly invite National Federations to register their official representatives through the following link. Please note that all National Federations will soon receive official invitation letters.

SPORTS

GENERAL

Calendar procedure 2019 – 2019/2020

The UCI International Calendar is a key deliverable of the UCI Sports Department’s work; hence, in order to complete this important task, the contribution of our National Federations is crucial.

The registration procedure for the UCI events will allow the preparation of the different UCI International Calendars for next season.

The guide below contains the registration procedure for all disciplines.

We kindly ask you to respect the deadlines for the submission of the completed registrations forms.

Finally, please bear in mind the content of article 1.2.012 of UCI Regulations: a race can only be considered for registration if the organiser has honoured his or her financial obligations with the UCI.

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any queries or require further information.

ROAD

2018 UCI Road World Championships

Geneal Information Bulletin
All the key information to help your National Team plan for the 2018 UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck-Tirol (AUT) can now be found in the General Information Bulletin.

Online Registration System
As you will read in the information bulletin, the Online Registration System for your riders will open on Wednesday 15 August 2018.

We kindly ask you to please respect the following closing dates:

Team Time Trial: 8 September 2018 12:00 (GMT+2)
All other events, except elite men: 9 September 2018 12:00 (GMT+2)
Elite men Events: 16 September 2018 12:00 (GMT+2)

We would like to remind you that the quotas will be allocated based on the rankings of 12 August 2018.

Qualification system – UCI Team Time Trial

The qualification system for the UCI team time trial races at the 2018 UCI Road World Championships has now been published on the UCI website.

Please note the deadlines for confirming participation, as well as for submitting ‘wildcard’ requests by teams who have not been invited and who have not qualified via the rankings dated 12 August 2018.

Olympic Qualification System
The qualification system for road events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is now published on the UCI website. Please refer to this document should you need any information on this matter. We remind National Federations that a Special Newsletter on the Olympic Games was published in early April, and is also available on the National Federations’ extranet.

TRACK

UCI Calendar – Reminder

Reminder – National Championships
We would like to remind all Federations that in order for National Championships to be taken into account for the purpose of UCI rankings, they must be registered on the UCI Calendar before they take place, and the results must be uploaded onto UCI DataRide by the first working day after the competition has ended. If you have any questions, please do hesitate to contact us straight away at track@uci.ch.

Reminder of format of competitions counting towards UCI rankings
We would like to draw your attention to the fact that any event for which points won will count towards the UCI rankings must conform to the formats and/or minimum distances set out in the UCI Regulations, otherwise the points will not be attributed. This is also the case concerning the minimum number of participants for the individual sprint (minimum 8 riders in accordance with article 3.2.031) and the keirin (minimum 12 riders in accordance with article 3.2.135).

2018 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Aigle (SUI) – Online registration/Quota

The discipline’s newest generation will again come together on 15-19 August at the UCI World Cycling Centre’s 200m velodrome, which previously hosted the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in 2016.

Rider and Staff registration
Online registration of participating riders and staff members must be completed between Monday 23 July and Sunday 5 August 2018 12:00 (CET) via the UCI Web Service.

The maximum quotas per nation and per event are available in the UCI Regulations – Part IX: World Championships (Article 9.2.022).

2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles (USA) – Competition program and categories

The table summarising the competition programme for the 2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships can be found here.

New for 2018: The team pursuit will be over 4km, with 4 athletes, for both Men and Women.

More information can be found on the organiser’s website here.

2018/2019 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup

The following calendar for the 2018/2019 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup was unveiled in February:
·         Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FRA), 19‐21October 2018
·         Milton (CAN), 26‐28 October 2018
·         Berlin (GER), 30 November‐2 December 2018
·         London (GBR), 14‐16 December 2018
·         Cambridge (NZL), 18‐20 January 2019
·         Hong Kong (HKG), 25‐27 January 2019

The press release can be found here.

Detailed competition programmes for each of the rounds will be published on the UCI website as they are confirmed. Nevertheless, we are already in a position to confirm that all Olympic disciplines will appear on the programme at each event. The competitions will take place over three days.

Quotas (SP, KE, OM, MA)
Quotas for the 2018/2019 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup will be established, then published on Friday 14 September 2018 12:00 (CET).

Note: Article 3.4.005 on the maximum number of riders and teams qualifying via the UCI Track Ranking is currently under review. An update will be published shortly.

2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships presented by Tissot – Eligibility

Art. 9.2.027bis – participation criteria at Continental Championships
In accordance with article 9.2.027bis, we would like to remind you that only elite results in Continental Championships are taken into consideration. Consequently, the U23 European Championships, despite being a CL1 event, do not count towards qualification.

Olympic Qualification System
The qualification system for track events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is now published on the UCI website. Please refer to this document should you need any information on this matter. We remind National Federations that a Special Newsletter on the Olympic Games was published in early April, and is also available on the National Federations’ extranet.

MOUNTAIN BIKE

2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup

XCC information
Programme:

Whilst we always try to keep the programme consistent across all rounds, please be aware that some organisers do occasionally request a change in schedule to better fit with their own circumstances, including host broadcast television.

Please check the official schedule published on the UCI website for each round to confirm training and race start times.

Friday
08.30am – 10.00am: Final rider confirmation
15.45pm – 16.15pm: Training, women only
16.15pm – 16.45pm: Training, all riders
16.45pm – 17.15pm: Training, men only
17.30pm: Women Start, followed by flower ceremony
18.15pm: Men Start, followed by flower ceremony

Course:
The XCC course will be between 1km – 1.5km in length with a lap time of between 2 – 3 minutes.
The course will use the XCO Start/Finish straight and line.
The preference is for a wide, flowing course with no sections of single track or course ‘features’ and one that encourages close tactical racing and is television and spectator friendly.

Race duration:

Both races will be run for +/- 25 mins.

The number of laps will be advised in a UCI release and also indicated at the Start.

The Finish line timing gantry will indicate laps to go.

A bell will indicate the start of the last lap.

80% Rule:

The 80% rule will be in effect to avoid lapped riders interfering with the leaders, as per article 4.5.016.

Entry criteria:

Participation categories: men elite (aged 23 and over) and women elite (aged 23 and over).
No separate online registration is required for the XCC event. Registration is done on site during riders’ confirmation.

As per article 4.5.003, each XCC race will comprise a maximum of 40 riders already registered and confirmed for the elite XCO taking place during the same weekend, selected as follows:

The top 16 ranked riders of the most recently published XCO World Cup Standings
The 24 best ranked riders of the most recently published UCI XCO individual rankings, not including the top 16 of the most recently published XCO World Cup Standings or any U23 riders, with the exception of those granted a derogation to race the entire UCI XCO World Cup series as elite.

Equipment:

The same bicycle frame must be used for both XCC and XCO races of a Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup round.
Minimum tyre width is 45mm.
The bicycle frame will be marked prior to the start of the XCC race and this mark must still be visible at the start of the XCO race.
In the event of an extraordinary circumstance (e.g. breakage or theft) which results in the XCC frame not being available for the XCO, the new equipment must be presented to the President of the Commissaires’ Panel for verification and marking at least 1 hour before the start.
XCC bike plates and body numbers are the same as the ones used for XCO event.

Feed/Technical Assistance:

Feeding and technical assistance will be permitted within the designated zone on the course.
Note: this may not be the same zone as used in the XCO.

XCC Start Order:

As per article 4.5.015 the start order is determined as follows:

1. Riders ranked in the top 16 of the most recently published XCO World Cup Standings

2. As per the most recently published UCI XCO individual ranking.

Award Ceremony:
As stated in article 4.5.006, the top-3 riders will be required immediately after the finish for a short flower ceremony.

World Cup points:
World Cup points only will be attributed to the top-40 finishers as per art. 4.5.037.
A team classification is drawn up as per art. 4.5.009.

XCO Start Order:

The start order is determined as follows:

The riders ranked in the top 16 of the XCC race taking place in the current weekend.
As per the most recently published UCI XCO individual ranking.
Unclassified riders: by drawing lots.

Updated schedule Albstadt and Nove Mesto Na Morave
Following the first 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Stellenbosch, we had to update the schedules of the events in Albstadt and Nove Mesto Na Morave. They are now published on the UCI website: Albstadt and Nove Mesto Na Morave.

Deadlines and information on next rounds
The 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup has now started. Please find below the registration deadlines for the upcoming events:

Venue	Country	Format	Registration opening at 12:00 CET	Registration deadline at 12:00 CET	Entries list publication
Albstadt	Germany	XCO/XCC	03.05.2018	14.05.2018	15.05.2018
Nove Mesto Na Morave	Czech Republic	XCO/XCC	10.05.2018	21.05.2018	22.05.2018
Fort William	Great Britain	DHI	17.05.2018	28.05.2018	29.05.2018

Report on 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Losinj (CRO)

The opening downhill round of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup brought the top gravity riders in the world to the new venue of Losinj, Croatia, on the weekend of April 20-22. The island in the northern Adriatic Sea is a popular tourist destination. You can find more information on the UCI website following thislink.

Calendar event organisation guide

The organisation guide for mountain bike events registered on the UCI international calendar is now published on the UCI website. Please refer to this document should you want to organise a mountain bike event.

Olympic Qualification System
The qualification system for the mountain bike events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is now published on theUCI website. Please refer to this document should you need any information on this matter. We remind National Federations that the Special Newsletter on the Olympic Games #43 was published in early April, and is also available on the National Federations’ extranet.

BMX RACING

The 2018 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup events will be live streamed for spectators to view. For instance, you will find below the links to the livestreams of rounds 3 to 6. We invite you to share these links as widely as possible so that everyone not present at the events can enjoy them.

Also, please pass this information on to your national BMX teams to share with their social media followers.

2018 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Round 3 and 4 in Papendal (NED)

Watch the 2018: Papendal LIVE – Round 3 You can also share the following link.

Watch the 2018: Papendal LIVE – Round 4 You can also share the following link.

2018 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Round 5 and 6 in Heusden-Zolder (BEL)

Watch the 2018: Zolder LIVE – Round 5 You can also share the following link.

Watch the 2018: Zolder LIVE – Round 6 You can also share the following link.

You can watch the live streams for the BMX Supercross Worlds Cup here on our YouTube channel.

2018 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Papendal (NED) – 2^nd Round reminder registration deadline
The registration deadlines to participate in the 2^nd round of the BMX World Cup in Papendal (NED) are the following:

· Registration opened at 12:00 CET on 12.04.2018

· Registration closes at 12:00 CET on 26.04.2018

2019-2020 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup bid deadline
National Federations are reminded that the deadline to receive bids for 2019 and 2020 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup events is 30 April. Bids should be sent by e-mail only to offroad@uci.ch

2018 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Heusden-Zolder (BEL) – 3^rd Round reminder registration deadline
The registration deadlines to participate in the 3^rd round of the BMX World Cup in Heusden-Zolder (BEL) are the following:

· Registration opened at 12:00 CET on 19.04.2018

· Registration closes at 12:00 CET on 03.05.2018

2018 UCI BMX World Championships in Baku (AZE) – Competition Guide and UCI BMX Forum
Competition Guide
Please find the competition guide of the 2018 UCI BMX World Championships here.

UCI BMX Forum
Beginning in 2018, the UCI has decided to replace the UCI BMX Convention with an event that is more relevant to those who normally attend. From this point onwards, it will be known as the UCI BMX Forum. The UCI BMX Forum will feature a short information session of interest to national federations concerning upcoming developments in BMX racing. Following that, the remainder of the forum will be devoted to discussion topics and questions proposed by the delegates. For reference, presentations concerning future World Championships will no longer take place; instead, the organisers of the next World Championships will be present in the World Championships expo area in order to promote their event directly to riders and their families.

The deadline to register your delegation (maximum 2 delegates per country) for the 2018 UCI BMX Forum is 30 May. Please find here the registration form and the agenda. Please e-mail completed forms to offroad@uci.ch.Please take note that late registrations will not be accepted.

Olympic Qualification System
The qualification system for the BMX Racing events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is now published on theUCI website. Please refer to this document should you need any information on this matter. We remind National Federations that a Special Newsletter on the Olympic Games was published in early April, and is also available on the National Federations’ extranet.

BMX FREESTYLE

UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup in Japan (6-8 April) – Report
The first UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup took place in Hiroshima (JPN). BMX Flatland was added to the 2018 UCI World Cup with winners Matthias Dandois from France and Katagiri Misari out of Japan walked away with the wins.

With an attendance of 86.000 people over the weekend, the event was a big success. BMX Park finals were also held on Sunday with 16-year-old UCI World Champion Hannah Roberts (USA) walking away with the win.

Elite Men Park was won by Australian Brandon Loupos who qualified in 12^thplace be set off the fireworks in the final with a blazing first run that set the tone for the remainder of the UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup final. With a score of 92.10 points on the big screen, the other 11 finalists knew what to do but no one got close to the Australian. Costa Rica’s Kenneth Tencio got second in Hiroshima with a score of 88.80 pts and 2017 UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup champion Daniel Dhers (VEN) completed the podium at the first stop. More information has been published on the UCI website.

UCI BMX Freestyle App
The UCI BMX Freestyle App has now over 20.000 users with countries like the USA and Australia involved. Over 75 competitions have been held with the users sending in their videos to win prizes in each competition without having to travel the world. The UCI BMX Freestyle App is available for use of National Federations to assist them in the process of developing the BMX Freestyle discipline. It does so by allowing them to identify talented riders and more generally to establish a closer relationship with BMX Freestyle riders in their countries.

National Federations who are interested in using the free UCI BMX Freestyle App can contact: offroad@uci.ch and can also check the BMX App brochure.

Olympic Qualification System
The qualification system for the BMX Freestyle event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is now published on theUCI website. Please refer to this document should you need any information on this matter. We remind National Federations that a Special Newsletter on the Olympic Games was published in early April, and is also available on the National Federations’ extranet.

CYCLO-CROSS

Registration procedure for 2018-2019 UCI Cyclo-cross Teams

The registration procedure for UCI Cyclo-cross teams, as well as the necessary documentation, is available at the following links:

· FRENCH

· ENGLISH

The deadline for submitting forms is 31 July 2018. If you have any questions, please contact offroad@uci.ch.

2018-2019 National Cyclo-cross Championships

A number of National Federations have yet to register their National Cyclo-cross Championships with the UCI for the 2018-2019 season. In order for us to allocate points to your riders, please complete and return the registration form as soon as possible.

TRIALS

2018 UCI Trials World Cup schedules and General Race Parameters
You can find the schedules of each round of the 2018 UCI Trials World cup and the General Race Parameters on the UCI website.

2018 UCI Trials World Youth Games schedule and General Race Parameters
You can find the schedule and the General Race Parameters of the UCI Trials World Youth Games on the UCI website.

2018 World Cup and World Youth Games Organisers’ Seminar
The UCI Trials Organisers’ Seminar was held at the UCI headquarters in Aigle (SUI) on 28 and 29 March. The seminar gathered the World Cup and Youth Games organisers. During the seminar, the UCI delivered the necessary guidelines on the sporting and event aspects; it was also the opportunity to share experiences between the different organisers.

PARA-CYCLING

2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Ostend (BEL)
The first round of the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup will be held on 3-6 May in Ostend, Belgium. 336 riders from 34 countries have registered for the event, which will be held for the third consecutive year in this city on the North Sea coast.

2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Emmen (NED)
The second round of the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup will take place on 6-8 July in Emmen, Netherlands, for the second consecutive year. We would like to remind you that the registration system opens on 31 May and closes on 14 June. Please register all your riders within the prescribed timescale.

Para-cycling Commission meeting – 26 March 2018
The Para-cycling Commission met on 26 March in Rio de Janeiro (BRA), following the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships. Several topics were discussed, including:

Classification
The UCI, in collaboration with the Universities of Amsterdam and Stockholm, will be conducting research over a four-year period, looking at the different aspects of classification. The aim will be to improve our classification system by ensuring that it is based on scientific evidence.

The first study will concentrate on the C and T classes, and will answer the following question: What is the relationship between the muscular strength and range of movement scales – as they are currently used to classify para-cycling athletes – and cycling performance?

The second study will concentrate on athletes in the H class, and will answer the following question: What is the relationship between the level of disability and performance in handcycling?

Finally, the third study will focus on tandems, and will aim to develop an evidence-based classification system for cyclists with visual impairments.

We invite you to work together with the research teams if they contact you, in order to be a part of the development and improvement of our classification system.

Regulations
Several topics were discussed, such as permitting disc brakes on tandems and tricycles, the modification of maximum and minimum distances for road races, the introduction of new track events, and the lowering of the minimum age for participating in para-cycling events. Details of these changes will be sent to you once they have been approved by the UCI Management Committee.

In addition, the UCI will be inviting different handbike manufacturers to Aigle (SUI) to discuss different technical issues, with the aim of establishing standard wheel fixings and sizes. Once in place, these standards will improve the quality of the neutral service during UCI races. It will also provide an opportunity to discuss different technical issues such as footrests and aerodynamic components.

INDOOR

2018 UCI Cycle-ball World Cup

The 2018 UCI Cycle-ball World Cup began on Saturday 14 April in Kamenz (GER) with ten teams from the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

The results and general rankings are available on the UCI website.

35 teams from 11 countries will participate in the eight rounds of the series. It is worth noting that teams from Armenia and Liechtenstein will line up in a World Cup for the very first time.

No fewer than 20 international commissaires from eight different countries will officiate throughout the season.

The second round will be held on Saturday 28 April in Altdorf (SUI).

2018 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup
The competition programme and athlete registration documents for the second round of the World Cup taking place on 30 June in Heerlen (NED) can be found below (available in English only):

· Information bulletin

· Registration information

· Participation quotas

Any questions concerning the series should be addressed to indoor@uci.ch.

2018 UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
The discipline’s flagship event will be held on 23-25 November in Liège (BEL). Preparations are underway, and the Organising Committee has contacted the Dornbirn organisers concerning the re-use of the competition floor that was used during the previous World Championships. This step encourages interaction between organisers, and also allows for an exchange of knowledge and experience.
More than half of the three-day tickets have been purchased so far. Tickets are available at the following website.

More information on the event can be found here.

Registration procedure – 2019 UCI Calendars
Information on registering indoor cycling events can be found in the procedure which is available at the beginning of the Sports section of this newsletter.

MASS EVENTS

2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships – Wildcard procedure
The 2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will be held in Varese (ITA) from 29 August to 2 September 2018. National Federations which are not hosting a qualifying event prior to the 2018 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:

For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the UCI Cycling for All team at massevents@uci.ch.

2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Series – April and May events

April was a busy month on the UCI Gran Fondo World Series calendar with no less than four events held across the world. 7 April saw the Forrest Grape Ride take riders through the Marlborough Sounds region of New Zealand. The region is famed for its wine and scenery – with the Grape Ride offering participants the opportunity to enjoy both.

On 8 April, the Granfondo Golfe de Saint-Tropez took riders through France’s Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, with the 163.5km course departing from the French Riviera city of Saint-Tropez and heading inland to the Var region, offering riders several challenging climbs.

Held on the Greek island of Kos with a time trial on 13 April and road race on 15 April, the Kos GranFondo presented riders with a course that took in with Aegean sea views, the island’s renowned beaches and natural beauty.

Finally, on 21-22 April the Blayney to Bathurst Cyclo Sportif Challenge was held in the New South Wales region of Australia. With an uphill time trial and a 110km Granfondo, the closed road event incorporated scenic landscapes and challenging terrain.

Looking ahead to May, the month will see three Gran Fondos held: Granfondo Antalya (TUR), the Cheaha Challenge Granfondo (USA) and the Schleck Granfondo (LUX).

A new event to the calendar and the first UCI Gran Fondo to be held in Turkey, the Granfondo Antalya will take place on 12-13 May. Hosted in the resort region, the event will allow riders and their families to combine tourism and cycling, with both the start and finish located on the beach front.

The Cheaha Challenge Granfondo will be held on 20 May, with riders starting and finishing on the campus of Jacksonville State University, in Alabama. Now in its 26th year, the course will take riders over the highest point in Alabama – Mount Cheaha – twice.

On 26 May, the Schleck Granfondo will offer two different distances: 155km with 2,500m of elevation and 85km with 1,200km of elevation. Starting and finishing in Mondorf Les Bains, in the south-eastern corner of Luxembourg, the rolling course will take riders through the Moselle region.

For more information on the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, please do not hesitate to visitwww.ucigranfondoworldseries.com.

Upcoming events

ROAD – TRACK – MOUNTAIN BIKE

BMX – CYCLO-CROSS – TRIALS

INDOOR – PARA-CYCLING

CYCLING FOR ALL

UCI Bike Region Yorkshire celebrates the Tour de Yorkshire

In the space of a few years, the Tour de Yorkshire (TDY) has become one of the most high-profile sporting events in the United Kingdom. The scenes of elite men and women racing through beautiful towns and cities, the testing and the dramatic countryside across this region in northern England have captured the imagination of the British public and cycling fans across the world.

As the 2018 edition of the Tour nears on 3 to 6 May, this region is gearing up to use this elite sporting event to inspire as many people to cycle for whatever reason. Indeed, Yorkshire is one of the UCI Bike Regions – acknowledging a commitment to promoting cycling in all forms.

The region has the ambition to get ‘more people cycling, more often’ under the dedicated Cycle Yorkshire initiative, backed by a strategy endorsed by political leaders. Various programmes and activities can be found throughout the county to support cycling, such as the Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries programme which provides bikes to loan to children and families free of charge. The 50th library is set to open in June.

The TDY is a great opportunity in the calendar to galvanise excitement around cycling. Since the start of the year, Welcome to Yorkshire – the region’s destination management organisation – has visited over 60 towns and villages across the county, putting on TDY roadshows. These events give local residents, businesses and community groups information about the Tour and provide tips on ways to capitalise on the global focus on Yorkshire.

Along the route of the course, towns, villages and communities will be ‘dressing up’ for the Tour and creating ‘land art’ to celebrate the race. These activities, encouraged by competitions run by Welcome to Yorkshire, drive local engagement and build excitement around cycling in the region.

Last year saw 2.2 million spectators line the route of the course, while the local economy benefited from £64m as a result of hosting the race. This year will be the biggest edition of the TDY yet, and hopefully will see a major impact in the promotion of cycling.

With Yorkshire hosting the 2019 UCI Road World Championships, there is no doubting the passion and enthusiasm for cycling in this part of the UK – with strong commitment to Cycling for All.

SPOTLIGHT ON… BENIN

The Fédération Béninoise de Cyclisme (FBC) elected a new president in 2017; now almost a year after his arrival, the results have been positive and the outlook is bright for Beninese cycling.

Known in Benin for his long-term commitment to cycling, President Romuald Hazoumé has worked tirelessly since his election to develop cycling in his own country. Indeed, it is the signing of a three-year partnership agreement with Sobrera, the Brewery Association of Benin, that facilitated the implementation of changes with well-defined activities and the provision of equipment.

Bolstered by these administrative developments, Benin has, in a short period of time, seen growth in sporting terms. The latest results from the Beninese riders at the 30th edition of Tour du Faso or at the last Continental Championships in February are generating much hope for the future.

With the help of a new, dynamic and dedicated team, the President is slowly beginning to build up cycling in Benin. The Federation has enabled its teams to attend various training sessions around the world, as part of its development plan. It is also building entire teams of commissaires, coaches and mechanics.

Benin has been looking to innovate, and that began with the hosting of an official race in Banikouara, in the north of the country. Held on 18 March 2018, its principal aim was to uncover new talent. 200 riders took to the start line, and enthusiastic large crowds lined the route.

The Men Elite race served as a test for future representatives of the National team, ahead of the Tour du Lomé and the Tour du Sénégal.

Following that race, the Mayor of Banikoara, lent his support to the best riders from his area and made a commitment to open a cycling club in his town. After Banikoara, the aim is to extend this type of talent-spotting race to Glzoué and Djougou, with the intention of taking the best 10 riders from each region to a final in Lokossa in June.

The next Tour de Bénin will take place on 6-13 May. This 15 edition will see teams from eleven countries competing, including two from Benin. The race will start in Tanguiéta and finish in Cotonou, going via Porto-Novo, Lokossa and a new venture through the north of the country.
Beninese cycling has been revamped, and those changes cover not just performances but also race organisation and equipment, even though there is still progress to be made on the latter.
President Hazoumé said: ” Our objective is clear: work to ensure every event organised and every action taken contributes to the development of cycling across the whole of Benin, with the aim of garnering respect for this nation’s sporting achievements. This is an opportunity that we must seize to move forward and achieve our objectives. There is a new train on the tracks and it will not wait for those who wish to stop it with their old ways. If the riders are good, we’ll take them from wherever they are in the country, and they will board the train so that we can all win.”