Michel Callot was re-elected for a third term, the maximum authorized, at the head of the French Cycling Federation (FFC) on Tuesday. Aged 57, Michel Callot was elected for four years with 69.55% of the votes against Teodoro Bartuccio during this ballot open from Saturday to Tuesday morning.
For the first time, clubs were required to vote alongside representatives of regional and departmental committees to appoint the president and governing bodies of the FFC. In 2017, Michel Callot was elected with 97% of the votes to succeed David Lappartient, who then took over as head of the International Cycling Union (UCI). He was re-elected for the first time in 2021 with 93% of the votes against Cyrille Guimard.
The electoral campaign has come to life in recent days with Teodoro Bartuccio’s request for the opening of a parliamentary investigation. The president of the “My bike is a life” association and the Paris Olympic cycling amateur club criticizes the outgoing president for taking advantage of his functions to promote his candidacy.
Bertuccio, supported by Cyrille Guimard and Marc Madiot, campaigned with the slogan of “the Federation for all” and the promise to increase the price of the FFC license for volunteer leaders to one euro.
But he did not succeed in convincing enough in the face of Michel Callot who highlighted his sporting record, notably during the Paris Olympics (nine medals), and the prospect of the cycling “Super Worlds” which will take place in Haute-Normandie. Savoie in 2027 and of which he is one of the main driving forces.
“I was very personally involved in the issue and took over as president of the organizing committee. Stability is the best guarantee of success“, he told AFP before the vote. The outgoing president, who is also a member of the UCI steering committee and treasurer of the CNOSF, also wants “transform economic transformation essay“of the federation,”a great SME” of more than 70 employees with a budget of around 25 million euros.
