The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is pleased to announce that Anne Terpstra (NED), Christopher Blevins (USA), Valentina Höll (AUT) and Andreas Kolb (AUT) have been elected to represent mountain bike – the first two in cross-country and the latter two in downhill – on the UCI Athletes' Commission.
Anne Terpstra and Christopher Blevins were the only cross-country specialists and Valentina Höll was the only female downhill specialist to submit their candidacy before the 20 August deadline, so their appointment for the next term of the UCI Athletes' Commission had already been confirmed by the UCI on 26 August.
Andreas Kolb was elected in a vote organised during the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships being held in Valais, Switzerland, from 1 to 14 September. Kolb was up against Loïc Bruni (FRA) in the election.
Andreas Kolb received 53.54% of the votes cast for male downhill specialists. The participation rate was 69.44%.
The members of the UCI Athletes' Commission are elected for a four-year term. This term will begin at the 2025 UCI Congress in Kigali (Rwanda) – or on the date of their election for members elected after the UCI Congress – and will end at the 2029 UCI Congress in Copenhagen (Denmark).
This election is part of the renewal of the UCI Athletes' Commission for the 2025-2029 period. Its new members are elected by their peers at the 2025 UCI World Championships in the various cycling disciplines.
Since 2017, the commission has been composed of 20 members, with each discipline or speciality – cyclo-cross, para-cycling, BMX Racing, mountain bike cross-country, mountain bike downhill, trials, BMX Freestyle Park, road, track and indoor cycling – represented by two riders, one male and one female.
The President of the UCI Athletes' Commission, a position currently held by Katerina Nash (CZE), is elected by the members of the commission and sits for a four-year term on the UCI Management Committee, the Federation's executive body, which operates under the authority of the Congress.
The commission has an advisory role, which enables it to submit proposals to the UCI Management Committee. Its main areas of activity are the improvement of conditions for the practice of high-level sport, athlete protection in all its forms, the promotion of ethics and sportsmanship, the establishment of a direct link with the Federation's decision-making bodies, the provision of information for athletes about significant regulatory changes and guidance for athletes after their retirement from sport.
Key figures from the election:
Andreas Kolb (AUT): 53 votes (53.54%)
Loïc Bruni (FRA): 46 votes (46.46%)
Invalid ballots: 1 (1%)
Number of votes cast: 100
Number of rejected ballots: 1
Number of eligible voters: 144
Voter turnout: 69.44%
The schedule for the upcoming elections of members of the UCI Athletes' Commission is as follows:
Road: Kigali (Rwanda), 21-28 September 2025
Track: Santiago (Chile), 22-26 October 2025
Trials and BMX Freestyle Park: Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), 4-8 November 2025
Indoor cycling: Göppingen (Germany), 7-9 November 2025.
The renewal process for the UCI Athletes' Commission will be completed with the election of its President, which will take place on 12 November 2025 in Aigle, Switzerland.