"We'll decide in September between India and the Netherlands": UCI president David Lappartient reveals two-way race to host 2032 Road World Championships
CyclingThursday, 06 August 2026 at 06:00
Women's cycling has reached a new level of popularity, but UCI president David Lappartient believes the sport is only getting started. Speaking during the Tour de France Femmes, the Frenchman praised the race's rapid growth while revealing that the 2032 World Championships will be hosted either in India or the Netherlands.
Tour de France Femmes has reached a new level
After witnessing the opening weekend of the Tour de France Femmes in Switzerland, Lappartient said the event has firmly established itself as one of the sport's biggest competitions. “I found it extraordinary. Last year, something changed around the Tour de France Femmes in terms of growth,” he said in an interview to Ouest-France.
While acknowledging the impact of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's popularity, he stressed that the enthusiasm was already evident before the French star took the yellow jersey in 2025. “Here in Switzerland, it is confirmation. In the villages, in Lausanne, at both the start and finish, we saw huge crowds. The Tour de France Femmes is now firmly established.”
There had been concerns about moving the Tour one week later and starting outside France, but Lappartient believes those decisions have ultimately benefited the race. “The maturity of this Tour now means it can stand on its own. Now we can use exactly the same infrastructure as the men's Tour. That is a major advantage.”
Lappartient argued that cycling's biggest personalities can only emerge if they have major events on which to shine. “There can only be stars if there are events that create those stars. Sometimes, you can be a talented athlete but not a star because you don't get enough exposure. And the public is starting to recognize the names of these champions.”
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Expanding women's cycling beyond Europe
Although women's cycling already features riders from a wider range of countries than the men's peloton, Lappartient believes much more can be done internationally. The UCI has expanded its continental development programme to identify talented riders from emerging cycling nations.
One example is Ethiopian junior Tsige Kiros, who joined the UCI's training camp in Brittany earlier this year. Describing her potential, Lappartient said: “She was seventh at the Junior World Championships and probably the strongest rider there, but she lacked the technical background. That's what we're trying to do: enable these young women to acquire all of that.”
While many have called for a longer Tour de France Femmes, Lappartient urged caution. He supports gradual growth but does not believe women's racing should automatically mirror the men's calendar.
"I'm not convinced we should always copy the men. What matters is that this women's Tour de France already exists and continues. Initially, let's remember, it was eight days. We went to nine. Will we go to ten days? That would be great, but beyond that, you have to include a rest day, which increases the complexity and the cost."
Lappartient also rejected suggestions that women should race identical distances to the men's peloton. “The race will be just as beautiful over 160 kilometres as it is over 240. Physiological differences are a reality, and that doesn't make the race any less important. On the contrary, I'd even say it's often more open in the women's race.”
Demi Vollering won stage 5 of the 2026 TDFF
Major reforms under discussion
The UCI is now finalising a broad review of professional cycling, with proposals expected to be presented in September. Among the ideas being considered are expanding the Women's WorldTour into strategic international markets, standardising team sizes and potentially reducing rider numbers per team to create more unpredictable racing.
Lappartient also revealed ambitions to bring elite women's racing to regions currently missing from the calendar. "Today, we have nothing in South America, nothing in Africa. There are very large markets where we aren't present. For the globalization of cycling, for its economy, this is a handicap."
Looking even further ahead, he confirmed that India has submitted a bid to host the 2032 UCI Road World Championships, competing with the Netherlands. "We'll decide in September between India and the Netherlands. India has 1.4 billion inhabitants. We even have an Indian woman at our training camp in Brittany…"
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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