June 17, 2011 (Maastricht, The Netherlands) – The Management Committee adopted several measures for the improvement of the quality of the riders’ environment, in particular by limiting the possibility of joining team staff for people guilty of infringing the Anti-Doping Regulation during their riding career. The UCI Management Committee’s second meeting of the year finished today in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

The UCI Director General, Mr Jean-Pierre Strebel, participated for the last time in this role, which he will leave at the end of June. The UCI President, Mr Pat McQuaid, as well as all the members of the Management Committee, expressed their gratitude for his 18 years of service for our Federation. During this time, Mr Strebel contributed to the development of the UCI with his enthusiasm and competence.

Mr Jean-Pierre Strebel, who was co-opted member of the Management Committee, will also remain active within the World Cycling Centre Foundation, of which he is President, the UCI Anti-Doping Foundation and Global Cycling Promotion.

The UCI Management Committee then nominated Mr Christophe Hubschmid – aged 47 and of Swiss nationality – as the new UCI Director General.

After ratifying the measures proposed on Thursday by the Professional Cycling Council (PCC) on the subject of riders returning to competition after a period of suspension for violation of the Anti-Doping Regulation (see press release dated 15th June), the UCI Management Committee approved the introduction of a new article in the regulations (1.1.006.2) aiming to prevent anyone found guilty of infringing the Anti-Doping Regulation during his cycling career from obtaining a licence authorising him to take on a role in cycling as a member of a team’s staff.

This measure – which will most certainly be very important in the medium term to guarantee an increasingly healthy movement for future generations – will come into effect on July 1st; it will not be applied retrospectively.
The UCI Management Committee is fully aware of the difficulties that the adoption of such a measure could imply, but wishes to once again reconfirm its determination to take all steps possible to oppose any form of illegal practice in our sport.

As education and prevention are the backbones of the UCI’s anti-doping policy, the ability to act on the riders’ entourage, particularly the younger members, is consequently one of the strategic priorities for the future.

The UCI Management Committee, which is moreover very happy with the positive outcomes of the appeals lodged with the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) concerning cases linked to the biological passport, also ratified the introduction of article 364bis to the Anti-Doping Regulation, which from now on makes the teams responsible for the total costs generated by each doping affair. These costs are currently born by the UCI.

During the Maastricht meeting, the UCI Management Committee approved the new regulation, already submitted to the PCC, for transfers of riders (see press release dated 15th June), as well as the calendar for the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano (with the new Eliminator cross-country format).

It then granted the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships to Pietermaritzburg (RSA) and the 2014 UCI BMX World Championships to Rotterdam (NED).

The Management Committee also decided to create an Equipment Commission, composed of five members: Mr Jean Wauthier (BEL), Mr Alex Roussel (SUI), Prof. Jan-Anders Månson (SWE), Mr Randall Shafer (USA) and Mr Marco Genovese (ITA).

Finally, the UCI Management Committee voiced itself in favour of the proposition to introduce, from 2012, an event entitled the “UCI World Cycling Forum”. This will allow for the creation of an ideal platform for everyone involved in the cycling world and will offer the unique opportunity to meet with the UCI and all its partners – such as industry representatives, sponsors, public authorities and media. The “UCI World Cycling Forum” will take place during one week in November and will include the meetings of the different UCI Commissions, finishing with the annual UCI Congress.

The next meeting of the UCI Management Committee will take place in Copenhagen, during the UCI Road World Championships, on September 21 and 22.