The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces the appointment of Nicholas Raudenski – a former criminal investigator with vast experience in sports integrity – as Head of the Fight Against Technological Fraud. He will take up his position on 1st May.
Mr Raudenski’s mission is to establish and lead a detailed global strategy for the fight against technological fraud in cycling, building on the work already carried out by the UCI in this domain. He will strengthen the UCI’s programme, optimise the use of existing resources, monitor and assess current technological advancements and supervise the development of new methods to detect technological fraud. He will also analyse and investigate – swiftly and robustly – all allegations and reports of possible technological fraud.
American-born and living in Switzerland, Mr Raudenski joins the UCI from the International Testing Agency (ITA) – the independent body in charge of the UCI’s anti-doping operations – where he has been Head of Intelligence & Investigations (I&I) since August 2021.
During his 23-year career working as a criminal investigator and in the highest echelons of global sports, he has served as Deputy Attaché, International Programme Manager and Supervisory Investigator with the US Department of Homeland Security including in investigations and international affairs. He then moved into sport and international football – five years with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) followed by two and a half years with the Union des Associations Européennes de Football (UEFA) – where he became one of the leading global authorities on I&I in sports, including match-fixing, corruption, and other ethical issues. This experience, together with his anti-doping work at the ITA, have seen him strive to uphold the integrity of sport through the development of detection methods, global investigations of organisations and individuals, use of intelligence collections, advancement of regulatory frameworks and governance standards, and the implementation of prevention and deterrence strategies.
UCI President David Lappartient said: “Pursuing an effective fight against technological fraud is a key element of the UCI’s Agenda 2030 and we are delighted to have Nick Raudenski on board to rule out any possibility of athletes getting away with cheating. His unrivalled experience in the areas of deterrence and detection, intelligence and investigations, and sports integrity will be a huge bonus to the UCI’s work to ensure the highest ethical standards and that everyone understands that there is no room in cycling for the fraudulent use of a motor or any other activities that infringe the UCI Regulations.”
Nicholas Raudenski said: “I am pleased to join the UCI and contribute to its mission and efforts in fighting against technological fraud in cycling. As a leading International Federation dedicated to upholding integrity in all aspects of its operations, the UCI is ‘walking the walk’ by intensifying its focus on this crucial issue. I’m looking forward to leveraging my expertise and experience to support one of the UCI's main missions: to guarantee the integrity of cycling. Moreover, enforcing the rules while safeguarding the well-being of athletes and preserving the integrity of global competition remains paramount to ensuring fairness and credibility in cycling.”
An important tool in Mr Raudenski’s work at the UCI will be the secure reporting platform UCI SpeakUp, launched by the UCI in 2021 and a key element of the Federation’s Cycling Integrityprogramme. UCI SpeakUp is available for all cycling’s stakeholders (for example riders, their entourage, officials and organisers) to confidentially share any information or report suspicions of actions that could undermine the integrity of our sport. The UCI issues a reminder that it is everybody’s responsibility to rid cycling of such threats. Every tip can help.