As Monaco prepares to host the Grand Départ of La Vuelta, one of the major events on the international cycling calendar, all eyes are on athletes’ performances. Yet, beyond sporting achievement, cycling has a broader ambition: to bring people together, forge connections and promote universal values. In this conversation with David Lappartient, President of the UCI, he reflects on the unique role cycling played in his personal journey and in our societies.
What are your earliest memories of cycling? My earliest memories of cycling are closely linked to my family life and the region where I grew up. I was introduced to cycling at a very young age, and it quickly became both a means of exploration and a genuine passion. Like many children in France, I also have fond memories of the major races, particularly the Tour de France, which was a highlight of every summer and a source of inspiration. Very early on, I realized that cycling wasn’t just a sport, but also a way of life, a culture and a wonderful way to bring people together.
Was it a childhood passion and a family tradition that led you to take on the presidency of Vélo Sport de Rhuys? Yes, largely so. Cycling has always played an important role in my life, both as a personal passion and as an activity shared with family and friends. It was only natural that this passion led me to become more involved in the world of community cycling. This story is also deeply rooted in my family: my father himself had been President of Vélo Sport de Rhuys when I was growing up, and my brother later succeeded me in that role. My presidency of Vélo Sport de Rhuys was part of this tradition: one of local commitment, volunteering and promoting sport for all. Above all, it was a way of making a tangible contribution to the life of a club and helping to pass on this passion for cycling at a local level.
CYCLING AS A TOOL FOR PEACE AND DIALOGUE
Is it personally important to you to make cycling a sport that brings cultures and peoples closer together? Yes, it is an essential part of my vision for cycling. Cycling is one of the few truly universal sports, practiced and understood all over the world, regardless of culture or social background. As such, it naturally fosters a sense of connection and sharing. For me, cycling should not only be a competitive sport, but also a means of fostering dialogue between peoples. Through competitions, development programs and youth training, we have the ability to forge lasting bonds and contribute, in our own way, to greater mutual understanding. It is this human and universal dimension that gives full meaning to the UCI’s work.
You recently presented a ‘Jersey for Peace’ to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education. Does this gesture signify a desire to strengthen cycling’s role as a tool for dialogue and mutual understanding? Yes, this gesture is fully in line with that desire. We believe that cycling can be a vehicle for dialogue, rapprochement and mutual understanding. Beyond its symbolic value, it serves as a reminder of the universal values of our sport – respect, solidarity and inclusion – and its ability to bring together very diverse communities around a common language.
What new initiatives is the UCI planning in the short and medium term to strengthen this social aspect of cycling? The UCI is currently working on launching a ‘Cycling for All’ Ambassadors program, scheduled for launch by the end of 2026. This initiative aims to engage top-level cyclists, both active and retired, to promote cycling for all, sustainability and the UCI’s values beyond elite sport. These ambassadors will act as a bridge between the world of professional cycling, everyday cycling and institutional stakeholders. They will contribute to key campaigns and events such as World Bicycle Day, the UCI Bike City and Mobility Forum, and the UCI World Championships, as well as to initiatives run in collaboration with international partners. Beyond visibility, this program aims to strengthen the societal impact of our work and to structure the athletes’ involvement with a view to creating a lasting impact and advocating for cycling as a social tool.
RIDE & LEARN: EDUCATION THROUGH SPORT
How did the Ride & Learn project and the partnership with Peace and Sport come about? The Ride & Learn project stemmed from our desire to promote cycling not only as a competitive sport, but also as a physical activity accessible to everyone, regardless of age, social background or ability. We firmly believe that cycling is a wonderful tool for promoting physical and mental health, whilst fostering social connections and instilling positive values. It was only natural that we turned to Peace and Sport; their expertise in using sport as a vehicle for peace is perfectly aligned with the values and mission of the UCI.
What principles underpin the Ride & Learn methodology?The Ride & Learn methodology is based on the principles of education through sport. It uses cycling as a genuine educational tool to convey essential values such as respect, active listening, solidarity and cooperation, thereby helping to shape responsible citizens who are open to others. Beyond teaching cycling skills, the aim is to support the personal development of participants and to demonstrate that sport can be a powerful vehicle for education and social impact.
Why are these educational pillars particularly important for the UCI?These educational pillars lie at the heart of the UCI’s vision for the development of cycling. Our ambition is to foster the growth of our sport in a truly universal way, by offering young people from all over the world, regardless of their background or circumstances, opportunities to discover and take up cycling. Beyond training competent cyclists, we also aim to help foster responsible citizens by instilling values that will stay with them long after they have finished practicing the sport. It is this dual ambition – both sporting and human – that gives our commitment its full meaning.
This approach was piloted at the recent UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda. Have you received any feedback? Did it provide any concrete lessons?Yes, this approach was successfully tested in Rwanda as part of a pilot project carried out with the support of Peace and Sport. Around fifty children took part in weekly sessions, including 27 young refugees. The feedback was encouraging and confirmed that cycling can be a wonderful tool for learning, inclusion and personal development. This initial experience has provided us with valuable lessons and strengthens our determination to continue and further develop such initiatives.
Is the Ride & Learn project intended to become a long-term feature of the legacy programmes for major UCI events, notably in Montreal in September, building on the experience gained in Rwanda? Major UCI events provide an opportunity to leave a positive legacy for the communities that host them. We work with organising committees to support them in developing strategic projects that have a positive social impact. In this context, the Ride & Learn methodology is a tool that we can make available to them, with the support of the UCI, the UCI World Cycling Centre and Peace and Sport.
Should education through sport become a priority area in organising committees’ legacy strategies, in order to leave a lasting impact on the communities hosting major events? Yes, we believe this is an area with a significant positive local impact. So far, we have observed that a significant number of organising committees are already running education programs through sport – particularly cycling – through our discussions with cities and regions holding the UCI Bike City or UCI Bike Region label, as well as our exchanges with the teams responsible for the legacy program within organising committees, including the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc. The example of Zeeland (Netherlands), where 36 primary and secondary schools were involved in a social engagement program involving around 2,000 pupils, provides a concrete illustration of the ability of such initiatives to sustainably embed sporting activity in the daily lives of younger generations.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS IN CYCLING AND EXPANSION INTO NEW TERRITORIES
Looking back at Rwanda, what assessment has the UCI made of this unprecedented event in Africa? The organisation of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali marked a historic milestone for our sport and for the African continent, as it was the first edition to be held in Africa. The UCI’s assessment is very positive. Beyond the sporting aspect, this event also had a strong symbolic and societal impact, helping to raise the profile of cycling on the African continent and inspiring new careers in the sport. It is fully in line with the UCI’s commitment to promoting the global and inclusive development of our sport worldwide.
Is your recent visit to Benin, or the organization of major events in Africa, part of a strategy to make cycling more inclusive on a global scale? Our aim is to support the development of cycling on every continent by working alongside national federations, building local capacity and creating tangible opportunities for athletes, organizers and younger generations. Africa plays a vital role in this regard, with considerable potential that we wish to continue to harness.
What made you want to turn Morbihan into a welcoming hub and training ground for young cyclists from around the world through the UCI World Cycling Talent program? For me, Morbihan has always been a region deeply connected to cycling, with a strong cycling culture, suitable infrastructure and a highly committed network of local organizations. In fact, it is the department that organizes the most cycle races in France, with over 300 events each year. It therefore naturally stood out as a suitable location for hosting an international training program. The aim of the UCI World Cycling Talent program is to offer young cyclists from all over the world a structured environment in which to train, develop and share a common experience, regardless of their sporting or geographical backgrounds. It is a way of making sport a vehicle for openness, learning and knowledge-sharing.
PROMOTING CYCLING FOR ALL
What are the main initiatives undertaken by the UCI to increase participation in cycling? The UCI’s mission is to develop cycling at all levels, from elite competitions to cycling as a leisure activity and a means of transport. With this in mind, we have organized several complementary initiatives aimed at encouraging cycling and maximizing its social, environmental and public health benefits.
The Cycling for All program provides the overall framework for this approach, promoting the everyday use of cycling and active mobility amongst the general public, national federations and the wider cycling community. The UCI Bike City Label, relaunched in 2015, supports and recognizes towns and regions which, in addition to hosting major UCI cycling events, invest in the development of cycling within their communities and in the infrastructure and programs associated with it. The Cycling for All & Sustainability Awards recognize outstanding initiatives implemented by members of the cycling community that have a positive social and environmental impact, promote active mobility and encourage everyday cycling. These initiatives are complemented by the UCI Bike City Pathway, a reference tool designed for public decision-makers and urban planners to support the development of cycling-friendly environments worldwide. Finally, the UCI Bike City and Mobility Forum is a major annual event bringing together experts, institutions and stakeholders in the cycling sector to discuss the challenges of active mobility and its future developments.
Does developing the sport also mean making it more gender-balanced? How does the UCI work – in general – to promote gender equality? Developing cycling involves making it more accessible to everyone. Gender balance is a central pillar of this strategy and is set out as a priority in the UCI’s second sustainability report.
At the top of the pyramid, the UCI is continuing its efforts to professionalize women’s cycling, with the introduction in 2025 of the new UCI Women’s ProTeams category, which sits between the UCI Women’s WorldTeams and the UCI Women’s Continental Teams. However, the UCI’s work is not limited to professional sport; at the base of the pyramid, the UCI has also embarked on a far-reaching reform of its junior circuit, with a complete overhaul of the Regulations for the UCI Junior Nations Cup Road.
With this reform, men and women are treated equally; the same rules apply, enabling the youth categories to be structured without distinction. This commitment is also reflected in concrete progress towards sporting equity. UCI events offer equivalent prize money for women and men, and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games marked a historic milestone with full gender parity in cycling, featuring 257 women and 257 men. The 2025 UCI Road World Championships introduced, for the first time, a separate race for women under-23s.
Beyond competition, the UCI encourages women’s access to all roles within the cycling industry through training programs run by the UCI World Cycling Centre. The number of female race officials is therefore steadily increasing; if a National Federation puts forward several candidates, at least one must be a woman. In the UCI World Cycling Centre’s Satellite programs, a large majority of women (154 out of 222 athletes) took part in training sessions in 2024, illustrating a global trend towards greater female participation. Finally, this commitment is underpinned by strong institutional frameworks, including equality charters and rules on representation within the UCI’s governing bodies.
