The trend is confirmed and growing: the center of gravity of world sport will shift towards Africa over the next decade. After the IOC and the IAAF, another international organization has decided to entrust a country on the continent with one of its major events.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) announces its desire to award the organization of the road cycling world championships to an African country in 2025. The initiative was included prominently in David Lappartient's campaign manifesto for the presidency of the UCI. It was unanimously adopted by the UCI steering committee last June in Arzon.
The UCI's approach is similar to that initiated by the IOC for the Youth Olympic Games in 2022. Last February, at the PyeongChang session, the Olympic organization announced that it wished to award the event in an African country. The most motivated among them can compete for the gift, via an application process announced as open and inexpensive. Four files were submitted, respectively by Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria and Botswana. The decision will be made next October in Buenos Aires, on the sidelines of the 2018 YOG.
The IAAF followed suit, but advancing on less open ground. Sebastian Coe, its president, tirelessly repeats his wish to see Africa organize the outdoor World Athletics Championships for the first time. No date has yet been set, but it is certain that the event cannot take place before 2025.
For the UCI, things are clear: the first road World Cup in Africa will take place in 2025. The application process is open until September 2019. An invitation letter, accompanied by a document intended to help future candidates in their efforts, was sent to all 50 national federations members of the African Cycling Confederation (CAC). The choice of host city will be decided at the UCI Congress at the end of 2019.
Comment from David Lappartient, the president of the UCI: “ The holding of the UCI's flagship event in Africa in 2025 will constitute a major step in the popularization of our sport: for eight days, the best riders in the world, hundreds of journalists and hundreds of thousands of spectators will give their all to the first time to meet on the continent on this occasion. I strongly encourage African national federations, in partnership with interested cities, to apply to organize this historic event. The steering committee and I are delighted to see the African continent organize road world championships and thus be able to demonstrate its enthusiasm and commitment to cycling. »
On paper, there are not many countries likely to embark on the adventure. Let us cite, in bulk, South Africa, host of the MTB Worlds in 2013 and Para Cycling in 2017, in the city of Pietermaritzburg; Rwanda, where a stage race on the UCI Africa calendar takes place every year; Gabon, host of the traditional Tropicale Amissa Bongo; or Morocco, also known for organizing a stage race, the Tour du Maroc.
