Launched by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and running between 10 July and 16 July, the public consultation on the appeal of road cycling was welcomed by a large number of fans. More than 22,300 people gave their opinions on the current state of the discipline and their expectations for its future development.

Residents of 134 countries from five continents took part in the consultation. The five best-represented countries were the United States, France, Spain, Belgium and Italy. The United Kingdom, Germany, Colombia, Australia, Russia and Brazil were also among the 15 countries with the highest number of respondents.

Launched in eight languages (French, English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, German and Italian), the consultation covered topics that may – or may not – make road cycling even more exciting, including the use of earpieces by teams and their riders, the in-competition use of power meters, team sizes and budgets, event formats, the broadcasting of events, and the provision of on-screen data during races.

The consultation process will continue with a series of interviews with people from cycling’s various extended families and with discussions within an ad hoc working group consisting of representatives from road cycling teams, riders, organisers, media groups, and broadcasters. A series of proposals will then be drawn up and put before the Professional Cycling Council and the UCI Management Committee for their approval in 2020.

UCI President David Lappartient said: “The consultation launched by the UCI to assess public opinion on the appeal of road cycling and expectations regarding its future gave all interested parties an opportunity, for the first time, to express their thoughts. The huge number of responses received gives cause for satisfaction and provides an excellent foundation which we can build on, together with all stakeholders, to make road cycling even more interesting and popular. Thank you to everyone who has played their part in the ongoing modernisation of our sport.”