USA Cycling or USAC , based in Colorado Springs , Colorado , is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States . It covers the disciplines of road , track , mountain bike , cyclo-cross , and BMX across all ages and ability levels. In 2015, USAC had a membership of 61,631 individual members.
54-714: USA Cycling is associated with the UCI or, Union Cycliste Internationale, which governs international cycling, and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The organization is also a member of the continental body Confederacion Panamericana de Ciclismo (COPACI). USA Cycling also organizes the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour , the top road cycling series for men and women in the United States. The Amateur Bicycle League of America
108-585: A 63% increase from the 42,724 licensees in 2002. In 2013, the number of licenses grew to over 75,000. USA Cycling maintains development programs for men and women in all disciplines of competitive cycling, providing a structured pathway to the top tier of the sport. In 2010, over a hundred individual riders took part in USA Cycling's National Development Program, gaining valuable race experience through 2,600 fully supported race days. Serving as entry points into USA Cycling's National Development Program pathway,
162-571: A certain group, such as the Catholic or Jewish sports groups. General sports organizations and multi-sport events also exist for other groups such as the Invictus Games for military veterans. Professional sports leagues are usually the highest level of play in sport, specifically if they consist of the best players around the world in a certain sport. Because of this, they usually work with national or international federations, but there
216-627: A championship or series of championships was required to pay the UCI 30 per cent of ticket receipts from the track and 10 per cent from the road. Of this, the UCI kept 30 per cent and gave the rest to competing nations in proportion to the number of events in which it competed. The highest gate money in this pre-war era was 600 000 francs in Paris in 1903. There were originally five championships: amateur and professional sprint, amateur and professional road race, and professional Motor-paced racing . The road race
270-499: A congress or general assembly of the international federation and is responsible for defining its sports policies. It consists of all of the national federations, each of which receives one vote. On the other hand, the executive branch, which is often referred to as the council or executive committee, consists of elected members by the legislative branch and is responsible for directing, managing, and representing their federation. Trusts are organizations or groups that have control over
324-610: A former contractor and director for the USA CRITS series, from participation in activities and competitions with USA Cycling. USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX, and cyclo-cross. The organization has a two-part mission: To achieve sustained success in international cycling competition and to grow competitive cycling in America. The mountain bike racing division of USA Cycling
378-540: A group of similar sport disciplines, such as aquatics or skiing ) and administers its sport at the highest level. These federations work to create a common set of rules, promote their sport, and organize international competitions. International sports federations represent their sport at the Olympic level where applicable. About 30 international sport federations are located in Switzerland , with about 20 or so in
432-747: A legal defense fund was set up to assist him. Under approval of the UCI, the Free Rate Downhill Race took place in May 2015 on Crimea , an internationally recognised Ukrainian territory that was annexed by the Russian Federation in March 2014. By officially overseeing an international competition with Russian license on the Ukrainian peninsula, the UCI was the first and only international sports governing body which undermined
486-584: A particular sport, as evident in the example of the Northern Ireland Federation of Sub-Aqua Clubs . Multi-sport event organizers are responsible for the organization of an event that includes more than one sport. The best-known example is the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the organizer of the modern Olympic Games . General sports organizations are responsible for sports-related topics, usually for
540-444: A process to review and allow Russian and Belarusian riders to participant UCI events under Individual neutral athlete. The UCI organises cycling's world championships, administration of which it gives to member nations. The first championships were on the road and on the track. They were allocated originally to member nations in turn, on condition the country was deemed competent and that it could guarantee ticket sales. A nation given
594-780: A role coordinating both bodies. The FIAC was based in Rome , the FICP in Luxembourg, and the UCI in Geneva . The FIAC was the bigger of the two organisations, with 127 member federations across all five continents. It was dominated by the countries of the Eastern Bloc which were amateur. The FIAC arranged representation of cycling at the Olympic Games , and FIAC cyclists competed against FICP members on only rare occasions. In 1992,
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#1732787937610648-566: A season-long competition of elite-level. The UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships for men and women offers individual and team championships in several track cycling disciplines. Each UCI-sponsored event feeds into the season-long competition known as the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup . In addition, a series of single-day events are held each year to determine the Cyclo-cross World Champion at
702-469: A type of national federation, as they are responsible for a country's participation in the Olympic Games and in the Paralympic Games respectively. However, a national governing body (NGB) can be different from a national federation due to government recognition requirements. Also, national governing bodies can be a supraorganization representing a range of unrelated organizations operating in
756-402: Is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sports governing bodies come in various forms and have a variety of regulatory functions, including disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport that they govern. Governing bodies have different scopes. They may cover a range of sport at an internationally acceptable level, such as
810-566: Is based on experience, as shown below. Union Cycliste Internationale The Union Cycliste Internationale ( French pronunciation: [ynjɔ̃ siklist ɛ̃tɛʁnɑsjɔnal] ; UCI ; English: International Cycling Union ) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle , Switzerland. The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces disciplinary rules, such as in matters of doping . The UCI also manages
864-503: Is the most important international event for boys and girls under 16 years old, the first edition of which took place in 2000. The UCI sponsors world championships for artistic cycling and cycle ball at an annual event known as the UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships . The national federations form confederations by continent : Sport governing body A sports governing body
918-494: Is usually a separation between the different federations. Most North American professional leagues usually do not have amateur divisions, as the amateur divisions are mostly run in separate leagues. Also, most professional leagues are related to other leagues, as players usually attempt to play in the league with the highest level of play. Because of this, promotion and relegation can occur; or, in league systems without promotion and relegation, clubs in professional leagues can have
972-564: The International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee , or only a single sport at a national level, such as the Rugby Football League . National bodies will largely have to be affiliated with international bodies for the same sport. The first international federations were formed at the end of the 19th century. Every sport has a different governing body that can define
1026-622: The Lausanne area, where the International Olympic Committee is located. International federations for sports that do not participate in the Olympic Games are managed by equivalent organizations to the International Olympic Committee , such as the SportAccord . International federations are typically organized with legislative and executive branches at the top. The legislative body is usually referred to as
1080-564: The UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships . In mountain bike racing , the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships is the most important and prestigious competition each year. This includes the disciplines of cross-country and downhill . In addition, this event consists of world championship events for bike trials riding . In 2012 the first cross-country eliminator world championship
1134-729: The UCI Women's WorldTeams , who are invited to all UCI World Tour races. Between 1998 and 2015, the UCI Women's Road World Cup served as a season-long competition of elite-level one-day events. From 2016, the competition was replaced by the UCI Women's World Tour - which includes stage stages as well as one-day events, including many races used in the World Cup. The UCI Track Cycling World Championships for men and women offers individual and team championships in several track cycling disciplines. The UCI Track Cycling World Cup serves as
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#17327879376101188-668: The territorial integrity of Ukraine. Yet, in the aftermath of this "scandal of sports and international law" the UCI negotiated with the Cycling Federation of Ukraine and, in November 2015, announced to remove the Free Rate Downhill Race officially from the UCI international calendar. Turkmenistan 's authoritarian leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow was awarded the highest award of the Union Cycliste Internationale for his country's commitment to
1242-546: The Chain . In 2004 the UCI won the case, and in 2006 won the appeal. Voet had made various claims about UCI and Verbruggen's behavior related to the Laurent Brochard Lidocaine case at the 1997 UCI Road World Championships . In 2006, according to Cycling News, the UCI contacted Greg LeMond after an interview he did in 2006 with L'Equipe , and threatened to sue him for defamation. LeMond mentioned
1296-640: The Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation, and the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, the national governing body was able to secure office space on the city's north side. USA Cycling's new headquarters now consists of a 26,000-square-foot building on nearly two acres of land near I-25 on the northwest side of Colorado Springs. In September 2023, the U.S. Center for SafeSport permanently banned Kevin ‘Scott’ Morris,
1350-836: The Regional and National Development Camps aim to identify talent and, in some cases, name riders to USA Cycling rosters for major international competitions. USA Cycling takes dozens of juniors on international racing trips each year. These riders gain race experience at the world's top junior events, including Junior Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de L’Abitibi, where major wins were made in 2013. Nearly 200 American cyclists live and train out of USA Cycling's houses in Belgium, Italy, and Germany each season. This allows them to be fully immersed in European race culture—a necessary element for advancing to
1404-615: The Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia. The announcement followed negotiations between UCI President Pat McQuaid and South Australian Premier Mike Rann . In 2013 Tracey Gaudry became the first woman appointed as vice president of the UCI. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the UCI said that Russian and Belarusian teams are forbidden from competing in international events. It also stripped both Russia and Belarus of scheduled events. In 3 May 2023, UIC approved
1458-452: The U.S. Additionally, the organization administers eight national-level calendars and manages 18 national championship events for all ages and skill levels in several disciplines: road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, BMX and para-cycling. USA Cycling has seen steady growth over the last decade as participation in cycling has continued to grow across the nation and within the organization. The organization's 69,771 licensees in 2010 represent
1512-686: The UCI Ethics Committee to investigate Pat McQuaid actions after the UCI Licence Commission denied team Katusha a place in the 2013 WorldTour – the action which was promptly reversed. Kimmage had been a racer and had a long history of investigating doping in the sport, including a book and, more recent to the suit, articles for the Sunday Times and L'Equipe which discussed doping and UCI. Greg LeMond, David Walsh and others voiced their support for Kimmage and
1566-693: The UCI World Tour. To expand the participation and popularity of professional road bicycle racing throughout the globe, the UCI develop a series of races collectively known as the UCI Continental Circuits for each region of the world. The UCI organize the Road World Championships (road race first held in 1959, time trial first held in 1994), as well as administer the premier tier UCI Women's World Tour races. The highest level teams in women's road cycling are
1620-654: The UCI administered the UCI Road World Cup , a season-long competition incorporating all the major one-day professional road races. In 2005 this was replaced by the UCI ProTour series which initially included the Grand Tour road cycling stage races (the Tour de France , Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España ) and a wider range of other one-day and stage races. However, the three Grand Tour races withdrew from
1674-564: The UCI reunified the FIAC and FICP, and merged them back into the UCI. The combined organisation then relocated to Aigle, close to the IOC in Lausanne. In 2004, the UCI constructed a 200-metre velodrome at the new World Cycling Centre adjacent to its headquarters. In September 2007 the UCI announced that it had decided to award ProTour status for the first time ever to an event outside of Europe;
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1728-651: The UCI-commissioned Vrijman report, as well as Operacion Puerto , and called the body "corrupt". Another lawsuit was by Hein Verbruggen against WADA Chief Dick Pound in Swiss court regarding his comments about doping and the UCI. The lawsuit was settled by the parties in 2009. In 2011, the UCI sued Floyd Landis in Switzerland after Landis accused the body of several misdeeds, including
1782-468: The aforementioned alleged coverup involving Lance Armstrong and the 2001 Tour de Suisse . In 2012 Cycling News reported that a District Court had ruled for UCI against Landis. In 2012 UCI president Pat McQuaid and former president Hein Verbruggen , as well as the UCI itself, sued journalist Paul Kimmage in Switzerland for defamation . In 2013, the President of Cycling Federation of Russia called
1836-548: The classification of races and the points ranking system in various cycling disciplines including road and track cycling , mountain biking , Gravel, and BMX , for both men and women, amateur and professional. It also oversees the World Championships . After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the UCI said that Russian and Belarusian teams were forbidden from competing in international events. It also stripped both Russia and Belarus of scheduled events. UCI
1890-421: The cuffs and collar of their clothing. For decades, professional road cyclists refused to wear helmets . The first serious attempt by the UCI to introduce compulsory helmet use was the 1991 Paris–Nice race, which resulted in a riders' strike, and the UCI abandoned the idea. After the death of Andrei Kivilev in the 2003 Paris–Nice, new rules were introduced on 5 May 2003, with the 2003 Giro d'Italia being
1944-536: The first major race affected. The 2003 rules allowed for discarding the helmets during final climbs of at least 5 kilometres in length; subsequent revisions made helmet use mandatory at all times. The UCI was accused of accepting a bribe in the 1990s to introduce the keirin , a track cycling race, into the Olympics. An investigation by the BBC claims that the UCI was paid approximately $ 3,000,000 by Japanese sources to add
1998-473: The first sport to introduce the test for EPO". The UCI has sued or threatened to sue several cyclists, journalists, and writers for defamation after they accused it of corruption or other misdeeds related to doping. Many, though not all, of these suits are heard in the Est Vaudois district court of Vevey , Switzerland In 2002 UCI sued Festina soigneur Willy Voet over claims in his book Breaking
2052-477: The money that will be used to help someone else, such as the Youth Sport Trust . National governing bodies have the same objectives as those of an international federation, but within the scope of one country, or even part of a country, as the name implies. They support local clubs and are often responsible for national teams . National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees are both
2106-618: The mountain bike racing division of USA Cycling (USAC). The office of USA Cycling, Inc. remained on the United States Olympic Training Center campus near downtown Colorado Springs until March 2009. Thanks to the generous support of Nor'wood Development group and the El Pomar Foundation combined with the collective efforts of the City of Colorado Springs and several local organizations, including
2160-627: The one-day world championships for BMX racing (bicycle motocross) cycling. Unlike other types of cycling disciplines, trials is a sport where the main factors are the stability and the control of the bike in extreme situations where speed also plays an important role. The first UCI Trials World Championships took place in 1986. Fourteen years later, in 2000, the UCI Trials World Cup made its debut. The most World Champions titles have been won by riders from Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. The UCI Trials World Youth Games
2214-445: The race to the Olympic programme, something denied by the UCI. When Floyd Landis confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career in May 2010, he alleged that the UCI had accepted a bribe from Lance Armstrong to cover up an EPO positive after the 2001 Tour de Suisse. Discussing doping in 2012, UCI president Pat McQuaid emphasised the fact that his organisation was "the first entity to introduce blood tests,
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2268-523: The series, and in July 2008 all the major professional teams threatened to quit the series, putting its future in doubt. The ProTour was replaced as a ranking system the following year by the UCI World Ranking , which added the three Grand Tours , two early season stage races, and five more one-day classics to the 14 remaining ProTour events. The World Ranking and ProTour merged in 2011, becoming
2322-482: The sort that affected Graeme Obree in the 1990s and the banning in 2000 of all frames that did not have a seat tube. The winner of a UCI World Championship title is awarded a rainbow jersey , white with five coloured bands on the chest. This jersey can be worn in only the discipline, specialty and category of competition in which it was awarded, and expires on the day before the following world championship event. Former champions are permitted to wear rainbow piping on
2376-580: The sport. The UCI organize the Road World Championships (road race first held in 1921, time trial first held in 1994), as well as administer the premier tier UCI World Tour and second tier UCI ProSeries races. The highest level teams in men's road cycling are the UCI WorldTeam , who are obliged to take part in all UCI World Tour races. On top of having organized the Road World Championships since 1921, from 1989 until 2004,
2430-428: The top tier of professional cycling. USA Cycling racing levels are called categories, sometimes referred to as "cats". The lowest category for road, track, and cyclocross racing is 5 for men and women. The lowest category for mountain bike racing is 3 for both genders. Decreasing categories represent higher ability levels with category 1 being the immediate step below professional level. Advancement to higher categories
2484-441: The track: unpaced, human-paced and mechanically paced. They were promoted for three classes of bicycle: solos, tandems and unusual machines such as what are now known as recumbents, on which the rider lies horizontal. Distances were imperial and metric, from 440 yards and 500 metres to 24 hours. The UCI banned recumbents in competitions and in record attempts on 1 April 1934. Later changes included restrictions on riding positions of
2538-399: The way that the sport operates through its affiliated clubs and societies. This is because sports have different levels of difficulty and skill, so they can try to organize the people playing their sport by ability and by age. The different types of sport governing bodies are all shown below: International sports federations are non-governmental non-profit organizations for a given sport (or
2592-710: The writer Bill Mills said was acquired "by including many rather doubtful grass tracks." In 1965, under the pressure of the IOC , when the Olympics was an amateur event, the UCI created two subsidiary bodies, the International Amateur Cycling Federation ( Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme or FIAC) and the International Professional Cycling Federation ( Fédération Internationale de Cyclisme Professionnel or FICP). The UCI assumed
2646-763: Was formerly known as NORBA, the National Off Road Bicycle Association. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 2,700 clubs and teams as of 2013; and nearly 70,000 licensees which include officials, coaches, mechanics, and competitive cyclists of all ages and abilities across all five disciplines of the sport. In an effort to grow the sport domestically, USA Cycling supports grass-roots initiatives through its 31 local associations (LA). Each year, USA Cycling reinvests much of its membership dollars back into these local programs, having distributed over $ 3.8 million since 2003. Each year, USA Cycling sanctions over 2,900 events across
2700-569: Was founded in 1900 in Paris by the national cycling sports organisations of Belgium, the United States, France, Italy, and Switzerland. It replaced the International Cycling Association (ICA) by setting up in opposition in a row over whether Great Britain should be allowed just one team at the world Championships or separate teams representing England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Britain found itself outflanked, and it
2754-744: Was held in Saalfelden. The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is a series of races, held annually since 1991. At the 2011 World Championships held in Champéry, Switzerland the UCI announced a controversial new sponsorship deal with the previously unheard of RockyRoads Network. The season-long competition is known as the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup and the UCI BMX World Championships serves as
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#17327879376102808-405: Was not able to join the UCI – under the conditions the UCI had imposed – until 1903. There were originally 30 countries affiliated to the union. They did not have equal voting power and some had no vote at all. Votes were distributed by the number of tracks, or velodromes , that each nation claimed. France had 18 votes, the highest number, and Germany and Italy 14 each. Britain had eight, a number
2862-652: Was organized in 1920 and incorporated in New York in 1921. In 1975, the name was changed to the United States Cycling Federation. In 1995, USA Cycling, Inc. was incorporated in Colorado, and in 1995, the two corporations merged, with USA Cycling serving as the umbrella corporation. The National Off Road Bicycle Association, once an independent governing body of mountain bike racing in the US, is now
2916-443: Was traditionally a massed start but did not have to be: Britain organised its road championship before the war as a time trial, the National Cyclists Union believing it best to run races against the clock, and without publicity before the start, to avoid police attention. Continental European organisers generally preferred massed races on circuits, fenced throughout or along the finish to charge for entry. The original records were on
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