The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) will offer a diverse range of events at the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) to celebrate World Bicycle Day on Friday 3rd June. This special day, instigated by the United Nations in 2018, highlights the benefits of cycling in all its forms.
The festivities at the UCI WCC in Aigle, Switzerland, will include activities for students from local schools in the morning, followed by a programme for the public in the afternoon.
The elite training and development centre, which is also the home of the UCI, has connected with schools from the commune of Aigle to welcome up to 140 students on Friday morning. A cycling programme tailored for children will include a Swiss Cycling agility course, safe-cycling sessions with the local police, pump track initiations, and mechanical workshops.
From 12:30pm, the public can join UCI staff, including the UCI's President David Lappartient and Director General Amina Lanaya, for an hour-long leisurely bike ride. The 12.15pm meeting point will be by the ramp leading to the main entrance of the UCI WCC. Barbecue-style refreshments will be served on the terrace of our restaurant Le Velodrome over the lunch period and following the bike ride.
Between 1pm and 4.45pm, an extensive range of activities for the public will include guided tours of the UCI WCC, an introduction to basic mechanics at the UCI WCC’s workshop, as well as track cycling and BMX Racing initiations. For the initiations, participants must be over the age of 10, and taller than 1m45. Also, a minimum shoe size of 36 is required for the track cycling activity. Protection, helmets, and cycling shoes can be borrowed but participants should be appropriately dressed for sport. It is highly recommended to pre-register for these activities by using the link below. On-site registration will also be possible for activities which have not reached maximum capacity.
Meanwhile the UCI WCC’s pump track will be available all afternoon for anyone wishing to come with their bikes to try them out.
Throughout this time the eclectic Swiss bicycle creative artist Gerry Oulevay will be present with three of his funny bikes to add extra joy and magic to this important day.
It will also be possible to make bike donations via the charity Vélafrica. The UCI will collect any unused bikes that can be given a new lease of life in Africa. UCI staff will be accepting bikes on Thursday 2nd June (4pm-7pm) and Friday 3rd June (9am – 6pm), which will then be donated to Vélafrica for the next step of their journey.
Finally, the UCI will be offering fans a chance to collect more points as part of its fan reward programme My World of Cycling. Visitors to the UCI WCC on World Bicycle Day will discover new opportunities to increase their points total and be in with a chance to win exclusive prizes.
Isabella Burczak, UCI Advocacy and Development Manager said: “World Bicycle Day is a brilliant opportunity to invite the public to the UCI WCC to participate in fun activities that celebrate cycling. This day will give a taster of what they can continue to enjoy all year round. I’ll be there for the lunchtime ride and look forward to seeing many bicycle fans cycling together for sustainability, health, and happiness.”
World Bicycle Day: registration for UCI WCC activities the afternoon of June 3rd, 2022