Dutch road rider Bobbie Traksel was elected President of the UCI Athletes’ Commission in Aigle (Switzerland) on Thursday during the first meeting of the 13 members of the reinvigorated commission.

On the second day of the meeting, held at the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC), which houses the headquarters of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Bobbie Traksel was elected by his colleagues by 7 votes to 6 over American para-cyclist Greta Neimanas. The 34-year-old classics specialist is particularly known for his win in Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne in 2010 after a long breakaway in cold and difficult weather conditions.

The President will be co-opted onto the UCI Management Committee – the Federation’s executive body that acts under the authority of Congress – in accordance with the UCI Athletes' Commission's Terms of Reference. He will participate in the Management Committee’s three annual meetings (January, June and September), where he will present the UCI Athletes’ Commission report. His role includes sharing the views and expectations of athletes, and ensuring that good practices are applied and promoted (riders’ integrity, reconversion after retirement from sport, communication between the UCI and the athletes). His mandate will expire in September 2017, at the same time as that of the other commission members.

The UCI Athletes’ Commission is made up of 13 members from four continents, with men-women parity ensured for the four Olympic disciplines (road, track, mountain bike, BMX) and para-cycling. 

Between them, the Commission members have 40 UCI World Championship titles and rainbow jerseys as well as four Olympic gold medals. 

To ensure that the voice of the athletes is taken sufficiently into consideration, at least one of the Athletes’ Commission’s representatives in each discipline will also serve on the respective Commission for that discipline:

Road – Iris Slappendel (NED) 
MTB – Greg Minnaar (RSA) and Georgia Gould (USA)
BMX – Mariana Pajon (COL)
Para-cycling –Greta Neimanas (USA)
Track – Anna Meares (AUS) 
Cyclo-cross – Marianne Vos (NED) 
Trials – Kenny Belaey (BEL), already member of the Trials Commission
Indoor cycling – Manuel Kopp (GER).

The next meeting of the UCI Athletes’ Commission will take place in spring (dates to be communicated later).

“Brian Cookson wanted more interaction with the riders and that is a very good step for cyclists in all disciplines,” said the new President of the UCI Athletes’ Commission Bobbie Traksel. “We were chosen by the athletes and we are the voice of the riders. I am very happy to have been elected President and now the work begins.”

“It is a significant day for our institution,” said UCI President Brian Cookson. “The riders – across all disciplines – have elected their President and I look forward to welcoming Bobbie to the Management Committee at our next meeting in January. I am very happy that only a few months after the announcement of its revision, the UCI Athletes’ Commission is now ready to give riders the place they deserve at the highest administrative level of our sport.”