Panama City.- In a Constituent General Assembly, chaired by David Lappartient, head of the International Cycling Union (UCI), the Iberian Cycling Union was formally constituted on April 18, headed by the Cuban José Manuel Peláez, current president as well as the Pan American Cycling Confederation (COPACI).
The new sports entity brings together all the Ibero-American countries of Iberian origin, and the Spanish or Portuguese-speaking African and Asian nations affiliated with the UCI, which currently number 32, with various work objectives, among which stand out promote, disseminate and develop cycling in those territories, with higher levels of cooperation and knowledge.
When expressing gratitude for the election, Peláez outlined as fundamental lines from now on achieving a united family, despite the fact that there are countries on four continents: America, Africa, Asia and Europe; while the head of the UCI was pleased with the initiative, “because it strengthens the bases of cycling that we have proposed until 2030.”
The secretary of the Foundation Committee, the Spanish Alejandro Martín García, outlined some of the challenges that the Iberian Cycling Union will have, which aims to promote the implementation of as many assistance, exchange, support and alliance projects as are required between the affiliated federations.
At the request of President Peláez, the incorporation of Aruba and Curaçao to this new association was approved, since Spanish is also spoken in both countries and the heads of the respective national cycling federations had shown their interest in belonging.
In total, 32 nations remained, distributed in 22 from America, six from Africa, three from Europe and one from Asia (in this continent it could grow with Macao and the Philippines), all of which participated in the Constituent General Assembly in person or virtually. The Steering Committee was also elected, made up of a President, a First Vice President, two Vice Presidents (one from the Hispanic area and the other from the Portuguese area), a treasurer and six members.
At the request of the secretary Alejandro Martín, the first agreement was to present the candidacy of COPACI to the National Sports Awards of Spain, after having turned 100 years old in 2022 and being the longest-serving Continental Confederation within the UCI.
Member countries of the Iberian Cycling Union:
Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal , Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Sao Tomé and Príncipe, Timor Leste, Uruguay, Venezuela, Aruba and Curaçao.