The president of theUCI, David Lappartientaffirmed this Monday during the Annual Congress in Nice, its ambition to make Cycling more respectful of the environment. According to him, current efforts in this area are insufficient. This is why the international federation created a dedicated working group, the “Professional Cycling Climate Action Working Group“. It brings together representatives of the teams UCIrunners, organizers and sponsors. Among the concrete projects, he proposes to reorganize the calendar WorldTour to reduce emissions, by grouping races by geographical areas in Europe. There is also talk of excessive travel on grand tours, where rest days sometimes involve plane trips to other regions.
Video – David Lappartient before the Paris 2024 Olympics
“We are not at the desired level”
L’UCI announced during its annual congress in Nice that: “Faced with growing concerns related to climate change, the UCI has intensified its collaboration with professional cycling stakeholders to develop a sustainability strategy”. In an interview with Cycling Weekly, David Lappartient admitted that cycling would currently score a 4 out of 10 when it comes to sustainability: “We are not at the desired level. We are making progress, but our starting point was low, and there is still a lot to do. Our ambition is to reach a 10, and we are progressing”.
