Summary of the management report for the year 2023, presented to the Congress by the President of COPACI, José Manuel Peláez, who was congratulated by the UCI and the national federations. Because of its importance and the reflection of thousands of cycling protagonists in America, we share it with you.
– In 2023, for the first time, two multisport games will be held in the same year: the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador in June-July, and the XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in October-November. In both events COPACI supported to have four of the five Olympic modalities in Salvadoran soil and the five in Chilean territory.
– The sports organizations of CentroCaribe Sports and Panam Sports extended their congratulations to COPACI and pointed out cycling as one of the sports with more public attendance at its facilities. This assessment was also extended to our competitions in the Parapan American Games that took place at the Chilean headquarters.
– The organization and celebration of the Pan American championships in the five Olympic disciplines were accompanied by intelligence, creativity and cooperation as the family that we are, by obtaining complete packages that lowered costs for the National Federations.
– In the Panamanian scenarios in April 2023, the continental road championship was held, which grouped junior, U23 and elite. The main incentive was the direct places granted to the champions for the Olympic Games, as well as the points given to the ranking of that classification.
– The always attractive BMX Racing modality had the good fortune to go to Riobamba, Ecuador, to compete in May 2023 in its continental event, which also provided Olympic tickets for its champions.
– Also in the month of flowers, Paraguay hosted the Pan American BMX Freestyle Championship, which was attended by 10 nations with their main figures, including world and Olympic medalists.
– Then in June we went to San Juan, Argentina, for the Pan American Track Championships. The sports and government authorities put an extra highlight on the inauguration of a majestic velodrome in that town, with all the competitive conditions and vital and administrative areas to serve as a venue for World Cups and world championships.
– In the modality of Mountain Bike, it must be said that they assumed with freshness and excellence the four Pan-American that are grouped in their variety of events: MTB- Cross Country in Brazil (22 countries and 532 athletes), MTB-Enduro in Costa Rica (10 countries and 140 athletes) MTB-Marathon in Colombia (8 countries and 320 athletes), and MTB- Downhill in Peru (15 countries and 180 athletes).
– In the first unified cycling world championship in the first days of August 2023 in Glasgow, more than 30 COPACI national federations competed and five of them returned home with champions: USA, Canada, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.
– At the end of August, Cali hosted the World Junior Track Championships, attended by 44 nations and 263 podium contenders. The proximity allowed 10 federations from our continent to send cyclists to the South American venue. Colombia’s second place by country with two golds and four silvers showed the strength of our continent in an excellently organized competition.
– The America Tour calendar grew in number of races with respect to 2022, while the Central American, Caribbean and South American road championships were held. The growth was seen in countries such as Colombia, Guatemala and Brazil, which incorporated or resumed successful events, while Canada, Ecuador, the United States, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica and Venezuela maintained their presence. A total of 23 races or Classics were held, much higher than the 14 in 2022.
– The COPACI Management Committee functioned throughout the year with three meetings: two by video conference and one in person in Panama, prior to the previous congress. All decisions were analyzed and approved by the Management Committee, including championship venues, Olympic Solidarity projects and operating budget, among others.
– In October 2023, elections were held at the Caribbean Cycling Union in Guadeloupe. The objective of the new leadership is to continue developing cycling in one of the most backward areas, but one of the areas with the greatest potential for the future.
– On April 18, 2023 the Iberian Cycling Union was constituted in the context of the previous Congress and with the presence of the President of the UCI. At the founding Assembly José Manuel Peláez was elected President.
– The Mexican Cycling Federation is still suspended by the UCI due to irregularities in its operation. A reorganization committee has been established through an agreement between the UCI and the Mexican Olympic Committee. We are working on the restructuring of the regional associations with affiliation of all the clubs and the elections within them, as well as the reform of the Statutes and the rules and procedures for the elections of a new National Federation.
– We have two new world-class velodromes in Asunción, Paraguay, and San Juan, Argentina, completed during this period. In addition, the aforementioned open-air velodrome in El Salvador was repaired. New BMX tracks were also built in El Salvador, Chile and Bolivia.
– If we limit ourselves to the UCI calendar, we organized 62 road competitions in 23 countries. As for the track, 34 events were held in 16 countries. Of course, mountain biking continues to lead in terms of the number of events, with 177 in 25 countries. Cyclocross was more modest with 23 events, all in the United States and Canada, while the popular BMX Racing events totaled 38 in 13 countries.
– Finally, and no less interesting for that reason, we achieved 10 competitions in seven countries in BMX Freestyle, while in Paracycling we were able to organize nine events in four countries.
– What we are doing in the training of international commissaries is progressing, but not in the proportion we would like. In this period we only have one new UCI International Commissaire in BMX Racing, while two aspire to become UCI Road Commissaires and one in Mountain Bike.
– As for the Olympic Solidarity section, COPACI has 13 projects for 2024 totaling 189,350 CHF. The figure for the National Federations under this heading amounts to 207,800 CHF. The main emphasis is on the Caribbean region (Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago) as it is the most backward region of the continent, but at the same time with demonstrated potential.
– In spite of the efforts made by COPACI and each of the National Federations in the education of our cyclists from an early age, the fight against doping continues to be an unresolved scourge for us. And we must be creative and relentless in this fight.
– The realization of clinics and talks on the subject in the main events convened, a greater alliance with the anti-doping brigades in each country and the activation of prevention plans are essential. We currently have 19 sanctioned and two with provisional measures. In the last three years America has 33% of the total cases detected in the cycling world.
– In terms of education and training, the satellite centers are working at a good pace and at the moment we have the Bromont center in Canada and the Couva center in Trinidad and Tobago. The one in San Juan, Argentina, had to be cancelled for non-sporting reasons, while the center in Lima, Peru, is in the process of being reopened.
– Regarding the inclusion and empowerment of women, it is evident that in 2023 the number of UCI America Tour races for women was increased from 5 to 10, while work is being done in the Women Cyclist Commission of COPACI.
– As for working relationships with non-governmental organizations, firms and sponsors for our events or races, it would suffice to mention the renewal as sponsor of the firm PKS, for the BMX Racing Cups, which allowed great savings for the event venues. This path is bearing fruit in other modalities and will make it possible to overcome many economic difficulties to host regional or continental championships.
– – COPACI was awarded the Ibero-American Community Trophy, which was presented on April 4, at the Royal Palace El Pardo, by the King and Queen of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia. The president of the UCI, David Lappertient, traveled expressly to Madrid to accompany us in a recognition that does not archive another continental Confederation of the UCI.
– In terms of institutional communication, our official website, created four years ago to provide updates on cycling events in the Americas, has already exceeded one million page views, with an average of more than 18 thousand visitors per month, with an average of more than 600 visitors per day.
– By the end of our term, we will present an official proposal for the creation of the American Cycling Hall of Fame, in which we intend to exalt the best riders and clubs to immortality. Likewise, the proposal for an Annual Award to recognize the best media and professionals linked to cycling from the national federations will come to life.
– We request the support of all the national federations to support the candidacy of the Colombian cyclist Mariana Pajón to integrate the IOC Athletes’ Commission, a vote that will be held during the next Olympic Games Paris 2024.