On the Record -- David Lappartient, UCI President Part II

(ATR) Cycling looks ahead as preparations for the 2020 Olympics are in full swing.

Part two of our interview with International Cycling Union President David Lappartient discusses what is next for the cycling federation, future champions, relations with the IOC, and Tokyo 2020.

The road courses for Tokyo 2020 were announced last month, the final step in outlining preparations for cycling at the Games. Track cycling and the mountain bike locations had previously been announced for Izu, a city nearly 70 miles outside the capital.

Now, road riders know they will be traversing around Mount Fuji, the iconic image of Tokyo, to win an Olympic medal in two years' time.

Tokyo 2020 is not the only future milestone UCI is preparing for. The 2025 Road World Championships will go to Africa, continuing the trend of major events courting the continent.

Click here to read part one of our interview with Lappartient. Part two can be found below.

This interview has been light edited for clarity.

Around the Rings: The federation is going to Africa for the 2025 Road World Championships. What led to that decision? Any plans to go back to South America?

David Lappartient: Since 1927, the UCI Road World Championships for professionals have been held in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. All that’s missing from that list is Africa, and when I see the performances of African riders – whether they're from South Africa, Algeria, Eritrea, Morocco or Rwanda, to name but a few countries – the level of organization, the increasing quality of the continent’s competitions, and the enthusiasm people have for our sport – and I’ve seen how passionate they are in Rwanda, for example – I can safely say that the time has come for Africa to host the UCI Road World Championships. In line with the schedule for allocating competitions, we are looking at the 2025 edition, which gives us time to appoint a host country and prepare an event of a scale to which Africa may not be accustomed. I am certain, however, that it will be an unforgettable event for the continent, the riders, the cycling family as a whole, and fans around the world.

As for South America, Venezuela and Colombia played host to our Road World Championships in 1977 and 1995 respectively. I would encourage the region’s National Federations to present bids to organize future events. It would be the very best showcase for South American riders, who have excelled at the very highest level in events on the UCI international road calendar for many years now, while also giving local fans the perfect opportunity to cheer on their leading riders on home soil.

ATR: When do you think we'll see an African winner of a Grand Tour?

DL: I think it’s something we might see over the next 10 years. The fact that African riders have been competing in UCI WorldTeams for several years now shows that they’re becoming more and more competitive. Many of them, such as Daniel Teklehaimanot – the first black African rider to wear the polkadot King of the Mountains jersey in the Tour de France – Merhawi Kudus and Natnael Berhane have also attended the UCI World Cycling Centre. We need to work with youngsters and encourage talented African riders to take part in elite events. That’s what we’ve done by making, for the very first time, the Tour de l’Espoir in Cameroon part of the UCI Under 23 Nations’ Cup this season, and by inviting the winning country (Rwanda) to the Tour de l’Avenir.

ATR: What do you think of the current relationship between the IOC and UCI? Would it be helpful to have an IOC member from the federation?

DL: The IOC has demonstrated its faith in our sport by including BMX Freestyle and the madison on the program for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. With 22 gold medals at stake, cycling is the third largest Olympic sport in terms of titles available, which underlines the importance of our sport at the Games. It has also been a feature of the Olympic program since the first Games of the modern era in 1896. Bearing in mind the growth in competition for a place at the Olympics, we can be very pleased not only to have maintained our overall quota but also to see fresh medal opportunities given to us. I would like to thank President Thomas Bach and the IOC for their confidence, which comes as reward for all the hard work that the cycling family as a whole has put in over the last few years. I am committed to continuing with this work and I am convinced that, following on from the huge success of Rio 2016, our sport will reach new heights in Tokyo.

ATR: How are Tokyo 2020 preparations going? Is it a worry having the velodrome so far from the Games in Izu?

DL: To our great satisfaction, we recently announced the routes for the road events at Tokyo 2020, which promise exciting racing in a magnificent setting, with Mount Fuji providing the backdrop.

It should come as no surprise to anyone to hear that the relocating of the track and mountain bike events to outside Tokyo is far from ideal. I am convinced, however, that the organizers will do their best at Izu and that they will continue with their efforts to offer athletes and fans the best possible organization and ensure that the success of the cycling events in Rio is repeated.

ATR: What are your thoughts on the road race course in western Tokyo? Did the UCI want the course to go through downtown? How come the women and men will race on different courses?

DL: In view of the initial proposal made to us – a circuit in the center of Tokyo – we are pleased to have found the best solution with the Tokyo 2020 organizers. We will have exciting and keenly contested races starting in Tokyo and finishing at the foot of Mount Fuji, at the Fuji Speedway racetrack. This route will ensure large crowds in Tokyo and the Fuji region, will feature the iconic Japanese landmarks of Mount Fuji and Lake Yamanaka, and will also guarantee challenging racing. The Rio 2016 routes were considered difficult, but the Tokyo 2020 men’s (234km) and women’s (137km) routes have an additional 1,000m of elevation gain. With an elevation gain of 2,692m, the women’s route would be one of the toughest on the 2018 UCI international women’s road calendar. The same is true of the route used at UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck (2,413m). Given that the Olympic quotas permit fewer riders than the UCI Road World Championships (130 as opposed to 200 for the men, and 67 as opposed to 140 for the women), we have come up with routes that will allow the best athletes to show what they can do, while giving as many riders as possible the chance to cross the finish line on time.

Interview conducted by Aaron Bauer

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