The global expansion of cycling continues to gain momentum with a new initiative led by the Union Cycliste Internationale and the UCI World Cycling Centre, organizations that officially unveiled the UCI World Cycling Talent (UCI WCT) program. The project was created with the aim of opening new opportunities for young riders from emerging cycling nations, allowing athletes from regions with less cycling tradition to access development tools that have historically been reserved for the sport’s major powers.
The proposal reflects an important shift in how international cycling aims to build its future. Beyond immediate results, the program seeks to reduce barriers to high-performance sport through specialized training, competitive experience, and professional support. Currently, twelve cyclists from eleven countries are already part of the first stage of the experience taking place in Brittany, France, where they train and compete under the structure of the UCI WCC.
A global project aiming to break barriers in cycling
The UCI WCT program emerges as an evolution of the successful model previously implemented in Africa, particularly following the impact of the Africa 2025 program, which helped boost the performance of athletes from the continent ahead of the UCI Road World Championships held in Kigali, Rwanda. Now, the UCI has decided to expand that approach and transform it into a global platform capable of identifying and supporting talent from different regions around the world.
The first selected athletes represent Afghanistan, Belize, Bolivia, Ecuador, Eritrea, India, Namibia, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, and the United Arab Emirates. Although their cultural and sporting backgrounds differ, they all share the same reality: limited access to competitive infrastructure and high-level development processes. Under the colors of the UCI WCC, these young cyclists now have the opportunity to live within a professional environment, work alongside specialized coaches, and regularly compete in regional French races that allow them to gain international experience.
France as the stage for shaping the next generations
The first phase of the program takes place between April and June in Josselin, France, where six women and six men participate in a competition calendar that includes races such as the GP de Nantes, the Tour de Loire-Atlantique, the Tour des Mauges, and the Route Vendéenne. The goal is not only to improve the athletes’ physical performance, but also to immerse them in the dynamics of European cycling, considered the sport’s main competitive hub.
After a four-week break, the project will continue with a second stage scheduled between July and September, also incorporating new riders into the program. According to UCI President David Lappartient, the objective is to confront the inequalities that exist within global cycling by offering real opportunities to young talents who, despite their abilities, often lack the resources needed to fully develop their potential. Along the same lines, the Director of the UCI World Cycling Centre, Jacques Landry, emphasized that this initiative seeks to expand access to the UCI WCC development program and create concrete pathways toward professional cycling for athletes from emerging nations.
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