This year’s intake of 82 brings the total number of UCI-certified Sport Directors to 700 since the Diploma was launched in 2009. The participants, including 62 women, represent 45 countries.
The inaugural course 13 years ago saw the participation of 26 Sport Directors (Directeurs Sportifs – DS), all of them men, from 11 countries.
Two years later, Canadian Josée Larocque was the first woman to take the course and sit the exam, before becoming DS for the Canada-based men’s team SpiderTech powered by C10, a former UCI Professional Continental Team.
It was another three years until the second woman registered for the Diploma: in 2014 Cherie Pridham was also the only woman, out of 42 participants, on the course. She has since become one of the most well-known female Sport Directors and the first to work on a UCI WorldTeam: her latest appointment, with Lotto-Soudal, started in January this year.
To encourage the participation of women, the UCI introduced a scholarship in 2015, paying the course fees for some of the female attendees. The initiative has continued each year.
After three days of sessions covering topics as varied as team administration, race organisation, race procedures, race security, rider conduct, anti-doping, equipment and technical regulations, course participants must pass an exam to receive the UCI Sport Director Diploma.
Although highly recommended for all Sport Directors, the UCI Diploma is compulsory for those working with UCI WorldTeams, UCI ProTeams and UCI Women’s WorldTeams.
UCI Head of Road and Innovation Michael Rogers explains: “With the ever-increasing professionalisation of road cycling, the role of the Sport Director is also evolving. Sport Directors are responsible for the overall well-being of their teams - from the riders to the various support staff. They must be able to make decisions in their team’s interests – often when under pressure in a race situation - while respecting the UCI Regulations covering the safety, fairness and integrity of our sport.
“Several of the Sport Directors attending our courses are former professional riders who have incredible racing experience and who understand the importance of having a certified Sport Director. Often the role of the Sports Director goes beyond race day and requires them to provide input into a wide range of domains such as hiring of riders, athletic training and performance, race tactics, equipment and technology, communications, logistics and anti-doping.”
Michael Rogers added: “It is gratifying to see the increasing number of women obtaining the UCI Sport Director Diploma. The evolution of women’s cycling in recent years is fast paced and the UCI is delighted that there are also more and more women obtaining top level qualifications in the different professions of our sport.”