For the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), it is fundamental that all people – including those with a disability - have the opportunity to cycle at the highest level. With this in mind, the UCI has integrated para-cycling on the road and track into its Regulations and International Calendar. This includes UCI World Championships and a UCI World Cup with different sporting divisions (for adapted bikes, tandems, tricycles and handcycles), as well as many other international events, including cycling at the Paralympic Games.
The integration of para-cycling into the UCI's sports programmes has been reflected in the inclusion of para-cycling at the UCI Road and Track World Championships at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships held in Glasgow and across Scotland (UK). This will also be the case at the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships in Zurich (Switzerland).
A more inclusive sport gives people with a disability the opportunity to live their passion and realise their dreams, while helping to improve the quality of their everyday life. This is shown by the example of Sun Bianbian, a 35-year-old Chinese athlete who finished on the podium in the H4-5 road race and the H5 time trial at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Para-cycling: meet Bianbian Sun
Para-cycling sport classes
C – Cycle: conventional bike with adaptations if necessary
T – Tricycle: three-wheeled bike
B – Tandem: for visually impaired athletes with sighted pilot
H – Handcycle.
Groups C (1-5), T (1-2) and H (1-5) are divided into different sport classes, with the lower the number indicating a higher level of impairment.