Cycling L’Union Cycliste des Seychelles gets UCI recognition |10 August 2023

UCS vice-chairman Mathieu with Jean-Pierre van Zyl, director of the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC)

After being set up last year to replace the defunct Seychelles Cycling Association, l’Union Cycliste des Seychelles is now recognised as the country’s legitimate cycling governing body by l’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the sport’s world governing body which also oversees international competitive cycling events.

This was during the UCI congress held on August 3, in Glasgow, Scotland (Great Britain), where the members of the renewed UCI ethics commission were appointed for a new four-year term (2023 through 2027).

Chaired by Ahmad Arissol, l’Union Cycliste des Seychelles (UCS) was being represented at the congress by vice-chairperson Hedson Mathieu.

The other executive committee members are secretary general Matthew Harper, treasurer Alberto Louis and ordinary members Sam Rignace, Kevin Marie and Ricky Rosalie.

The 192nd UCI congress – a decision-making congress – was during the first edition of the UCI Cycling World Championships and brought together representatives from a record number of 151 UCI member national federations.

Under the auspice of the National Sports Council (NSC), other than the UCI, the UCS is also an affiliated member of the Confédération Africaine de Cyclisme (CAC).

Among its objectives are to actively encourage, promote and develop cyclists at all levels throughout Seychelles without regard to gender, racial, political, financial, and religious or any other issues, to promote and develop the sport of cycling, to represent and promote the interest and welfare of the members of the union, to assist with training of coaches and officials, to become a member of or to enter into arrangement or agreement with other bodies both in and outside Seychelles, for the purpose of furthering the objectives of  the union, and to raise funds for the purpose of carrying out of the objective of the union, to manage and invest the funds of the union.

The UCS also agrees to abide and be bound by the UCI constitution and regulations in particular the anti-doping rules and also recognises the exclusive jurisdiction of the court of arbitrations for sport (case) in Lausanne, Switzerland, as provided for under relevant provisions of the regulations.

At the UCI congress held on August 3, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland (Great Britain), the members of the renewed UCI ethics commission were appointed for a new four-year term (2023 through 2027). They were appointed by the congress on proposal by the UCI management committee, two years after the election of the UCI president and UCI management committee members.

The UCI ethics commission and its members are fully independent of the UCI, continental confederations, national federations and all other cycling stakeholders. The commission is composed of men and women, with at least 25% representation of each gender. Members have recognised competence in sports and/or law and ethics.

L’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is based in Aigle, Switzerland.

Roland Duval