Panama City.- The President of the International Cycling Union (UCI), David Lappartient, led the Exchange Platform carried out by specialists from the sports entity that he directs for federations and coaches of the national federations of Latin America, as part of the Pan American Championship of Road Cycling, which is held in this city until Sunday April 23.
The topics on this occasion revolved around online registration (Data Ride), safety on race routes, the UCI Olympic Solidarity programs, the upcoming World Championships in Glasgow 2023 and everything related to the creation of the Satellite Training Centers by region.)
In the welcome words, Lappartient invited everyone to update themselves on each of the topics and to ask questions or questions to the exhibitors, some virtually and others with a presence in the Bellavista Room, of the El Panama hotel, venue of the event. “It is a learning day for everyone, because the UCI wants to be stronger every day in the concert of Olympic sports”, he pointed out.
An important moment within the Platform was the presentation by the UCI head himself of the preparations for the World Championship in Glasgow 2023. “We had never seen it before. There will be 13 UCI World Championships on the same stage for two weeks. The idea is to have the 202 affiliated countries with at least one athlete per federation”.
It meant that so far 175 nations have confirmed, and the COPACI area has shown interest in registering with all the federations, except Belize and Saint Kitts and Nevis. “The Cycling Games”, that’s what we have called them, said Lappartient, who explained that the idea is to bring together around 5,500 riders, a purpose that is appreciated closer every day, for which the UCI is grateful, which will support the nations with less resources in a financing of three thousand dollars.
“These integrating championships of all modalities would be held every four years, always before the Olympic Games and we are already preparing for those of 2027 and 2031. We could become the third world sport with the most visibility and importance within the Olympic sports context” said the President of the UCI.
At this point, José Manuel Peláez, president of COPACI, intervened to thank the response given by the national federations of our continent, as an expression of support for the Glasgow 2023 World Championship, “in which I am convinced that we will not only participate, but also We will get medals.”
The last point of the Exchange Platform was dedicated to the UCI Satellite Centers, which are currently seven worldwide, but will reach nine very soon. Two are already operating in the Americas: one in Trinidad and Tobago and another in Canada, while a third is expected to open in July in San Juan, Argentina. These centers are the basis for the talents of each country to acquire mastery and experience and can aspire to the UCI World Center.
For more than three hours, this Exchange Platform allowed the federations and coaches of the nations present at this Pan-American Road Cycling Championship to learn in greater depth about issues of extraordinary importance for their future work.