With words of congratulations and a call to continue fulfilling the approved 2030 Agenda with its specific work objectives, the President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), David Lappartient, addressed the annual Congress of the Pan American Cycling Confederation (COPACI), which took place this Wednesday in Montería, Colombia, the same city hosting the Pan American Road Cycling Championships.
The UCI president was one of the speakers at the session, where he highlighted the positive steps taken by COPACI in terms of development, participation, and results, from youth cycling to high-performance levels. He also invited all federations to register for the Road World Championships, which will be held in Montreal, Canada, in September, coinciding with the UCI Congress.
Lappartient also presented some ideas that are taking shape within the UCI, such as holding another world championship in France in 2027, encompassing all 20 disciplines of the sport. More than 15,000 cyclists from the 206 member national federations are expected to participate. “This is a long-held dream that we will achieve every four years, and everything is ready,” he reaffirmed.
Before opening the floor to the discussion of COPACI’s annual management report, the head of world cycling praised the work of José Manuel Peláez at the helm of the Confederation and his election last September as UCI vice president. He also welcomed the appointments of Colombian cyclist Mariana Pajón and Canadian federation official Pierre Laflamme to the UCI Management Committee.
The session continued with COPACI’s presentation of its activities for the year under review. To this end, Peláez relied on the five pillars of the 2030 Agenda: Growth, Creativity, Impact, Transparency, and Ethics. “In each of these areas, there are already results to show across all Olympic disciplines, as well as in the social impact of cycling on society,” he stated.
Elsewhere in his presentation, Peláez affirmed: “Many things have been accomplished in just 365 days, and between tangible achievements and recognized financial health, we will always be unsatisfied with the potential we know exists among us. COPACI and its leaders persist in believing that the most important thing is to work with passion. And here we are, keeping pace with modernity.”
Before the delegates to the UCI Congress were elected, the highest distinction, the COPACI Merit Award, was presented to David Lappartient for his sustained support of the continental organization and to Ricardo Flores, President of the Pan American Mountain Biking Commission, for his more than 20 years dedicated to promoting and elevating the levels of this discipline in the Americas. This Thursday, the Pan American Road Cycling Championships will continue with the time trials for men under 23 and elite.
