Nestled at the foot of the Swiss Alps in Aigle, the global home of cycling houses both the UCI headquarters and the World Cycling Centre (WCC). The WCC plays a vital role in helping cyclists from emerging nations gain the skills and experience needed to compete with Europe's best. The Aigle center is a state-of-the-art hub, equipped with a 200m indoor velodrome, a BMX track, a high-end workshop, and a gymnasium.
The UCI has been focusing on expanding cycling in Asia and Africa. Kigali, Rwanda, is set to host the UCI Road World Championships this year. India, too, has shown promise—its historic men's team sprint gold at the 2019 World Junior Track Championship sparked hopes for the sport's growth in the country.
In fact, WCC ran a satellite center at the IG Stadium in Delhi from 2016, in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI). With talent development, coach training programmes, and modern facilities, the centre helped raise the performance of junior Indian cyclists at the world level.
The satellite centre in New Delhi provided sporting equipment and clothing free of charge to young cyclists. They trained alongside the National Track Cycling Team of India and continued their academic studies with teachers brought into the centre. In addition to the velodrome, the satellite centre had two fully-equipped gyms, a staffed workshop, hostel accommodation, a medical centre, classrooms, and a restaurant that prepared food with the input of qualified dieticians.
The UCI's World Cycling Centre (WCC) satellite in India was one of five around the world, along with those in South Africa, Korea, Argentina, and Japan. The WCC offers training and development for around 100 athletes every year in the three Olympic disciplines: road, track, and BMX.
The New Delhi UCI WCC satellite implemented a comprehensive coaching program. Over 30 national coaches participated in a three-day training course. The satellite was intended to utilize the UCI's expertise in the scientific aspects of training. The aim was for the centre to become a medal-winning machine for the country.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) collaborated with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to launch a satellite training centre of UCI at the SAI velodrome at Indira Gandhi Stadium. SAI supported the project through infrastructure and finance, while the Federation was responsible for the selection and training of cyclists. The UCI provided advanced training methods and technical support, including specific training for cyclists and coaches.
SAI and CFI identified a group of 500 youngsters aged 14-16 for induction into the academy after a nationwide talent hunt, and some national players had already begun training there. The fully air-conditioned velodrome at IGS, Delhi, was considered one of the best facilities in the world and the second-best in Asia. This indoor facility offered opportunities for cyclists from India and other Asian countries to use ultra-modern facilities with advanced training methods.
However, the WCC satellite centre in Delhi was shut down in 2025 due to a lack of activity. Despite this setback, India remains part of the UCI's long-term plans to grow the sport and prepare riders for the Olympics.
