Christian Prudhomme out as president of the AIOCC – Vuelta a Espana boss Javier Guillen becomes first new leader since 2009
Cycling
Professional cycling’s organisational landscape has shifted, with Vuelta a Espana director Javier Guillen elected as the new president of the AIOCC — the influential body representing organisers of the sport’s major races. His appointment brings an end to Christian Prudhomme’s 15-year tenure, marking the first leadership change at the association since 2009.
Prudhomme, the long-standing boss of the Tour de France, opted not to seek re-election. His time in charge coincided with a period of unprecedented growth for the Tour, both commercially and globally. Now the reins pass to Guillen, a figure widely credited with revitalising the Vuelta and turning it into one of cycling’s most dynamic and internationally resonant Grand Tours.
Guillen’s leadership comes at a pivotal moment. The Vuelta under his guidance has embraced steep final climbs, creative route designs and bold ideas that have helped it stand out in an increasingly crowded calendar. That reputation for innovation means the AIOCC now places one of cycling’s most forward-thinking organisers at the heart of strategic decision-making.
His challenge will be to balance tradition with the sport’s rapid pace of change. Cycling faces pressures from global expansion, city-hosting negotiations, safety concerns, a growing women’s calendar and long-running discussions over season structure. Guillen’s track record suggests he will be an advocate for evolution rather than preservation alone.
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AIOCC board strengthened with greater diversity
Alongside Guillen, the association confirmed a refreshed and more geographically varied board. Key roles include:
- Ruben Peris (Volta a Catalunya) and Thierry Gouvenou (Paris–Roubaix) as vice-presidents
- Luc Gheysens (Gent–Wevelgem) as secretary general
- Sonia Martinez Barrio (Vuelta a Catalunya Femenina) as deputy secretary
- Eddy Buchette (Tour of Luxembourg) as treasurer
- Yannick Talabardon (Paris–Nice) as deputy treasurer
- Additional board members from North America, women’s racing and Flanders: Joseph Limare, Franck Perque and Wim Van Herreweghe
This expanded structure reflects a conscious effort to broaden representation and strengthen the voice of women’s race organisers.
A new era for cycling’s major organisers
Guillen’s arrival signals a fresh direction for the AIOCC at a time when the sport’s global footprint is rapidly evolving. With a more diverse leadership team around him, he now takes responsibility for guiding cycling’s biggest races through a period defined by both opportunity and substantial change.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin is wuite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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- This is just stupid, You do what you are good at not what you are weak at. He has no results to speak of when he participated. Even Froome, Conatdor had very little. With Pogi there he wont win none of the classics. he is already 30+ with a few years left at the top. It takes years to get good at classics. Is that really worth the effort???abstractengineer02-11-2026
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
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👥A new Steering Committee has been elected for the next four years 👏Congrats
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