February 12, 2013 (Aigle, Switzerland) – The Stakeholder Consultation exercise, ‘A Bright Future for Cycling’, will take place between February 21 and March 15, 2013.

Following the UCI’s invitation in November 2012, various stakeholders have contributed their ideas to the topics to be covered by the consultation exercise.  Every stakeholder in cycling will be invited to participate in the process, including riders, teams, race organisers, sponsors, sports institutions, the media and fans.

The input and contributions from cycling’s stakeholders around the world will be gathered electronically, using a specially designed online consultation survey.

The consultation will cover four broad themes: globalisation, anti-doping, the cycling calendar and riders. A fifth subject – that of the governance of cycling – will be a ‘red thread’ running through each of the four major themes.

In conjunction with the online consultation survey, the key themes will be discussed by four working groups composed of appropriate experts from cycling’s different stakeholder groups, which will gather in March.

The UCI has commissioned global professional services firm Deloitte to manage the stakeholder consultation exercise. Deloitte will report their findings to the UCI Management Board in the second quarter of 2013 to help the UCI decide what changes and actions need to be implemented to improve the organisation, operation and image of cycling.  Key findings and recommendations will be published.

UCI President Pat McQuaid said: “We saw last year in the Olympic Games that cycling is one of the world’s most popular sports, both for participants and spectators. The aim of this consultation is for the UCI to listen to stakeholders’ views so they can help to shape cycling’s bright future by making it an even more popular sport.

McQuaid continued: “This consultation will look forward to ensure that our sport is the best it can possibly be. The different worlds of sport, of technology and of media are all changing every day and cycling must keep up – as all cycling enthusiasts know, when the peloton moves forward you either keep up or get left behind.

“I very much look forward to hearing the views of all cycling’s stakeholders in this unprecedented exercise for our sport. I strongly believe that our stakeholders will be keen to assist the UCI in givingcycling new momentum and ensure that our sport has the wonderful future that it deserves.

Letter from Pat McQuaid, President of the UCI HERE.