Nordic Cycling Holds Annual Meeting in Avignon

09/03/2026

The Nordic Cycling Annual Meeting took place on 7 March 2026 in Avignon, France, during the UEC Congress. Representatives from Nordic and Baltic cycling federations gathered to review the past year's activities and discuss future cooperation within the Nordic Cycling network.

The meeting was opened by Raivo Rand, who welcomed participants and thanked member federations for their continued cooperation within Nordic Cycling. Special guests included UEC President Enrico Della Casa and UCI President David Lappartient, who both emphasised the importance of regional cooperation in cycling and praised Nordic Cycling for its active role in developing the sport across the region.

During the meeting, Nordic Cycling presented an overview of its activities in 2025. The organisation continued to focus on the development of cycling through Nordic Championships across several disciplines, bringing together athletes from Nordic and Baltic countries. Championships were organised in cross-country mountain biking (XCO), gravel, masters road racing, BMX racing and, for the first time, paracycling.

In addition to competitions, Nordic Cycling organised two international practical commissaire training courses in Sweden, focusing on BMX and cyclo-cross. The courses were held with support from the UEC Solidarity programme and brought together officials from several countries to strengthen the level of cycling commissaires across the region.

The meeting also addressed future activities and cooperation between the member federations. Participants discussed the increasing number of UCI Gravel World Series events in the Nordic and Baltic region and highlighted the importance of coordinating national championship calendars to avoid scheduling conflicts and to maximise participation opportunities for riders.

A proposal was also presented by the Latvian Cycling Federation to host a UCI Junior Nations Cup event in Valmiera in 2027. Participants welcomed the initiative and underlined the importance of additional high-level racing opportunities for junior riders in the region.

A key decision of the meeting was the rotation of the Nordic Cycling coordination, which follows a system where responsibility moves between member federations. After the previous term coordinated by Estonia, the role will now pass to Sweden for the next two-year period.

According to Nordic Cycling practice, the coordinating country also holds the position of Chair of the Board. Thomas Backteman (Swedish Cycling Federation) was therefore confirmed as Chair of the Board for the upcoming term.

The Executive Committee for the next term will consist of:

  • Thomas Backteman (Sweden) – Coordinator and Chair

  • Henrik Jess Jensen (Denmark) – Treasurer

  • Katariina Laakkonen (Finland) – Next Coordinator

  • Raivo Rand (Estonia) – Member

The meeting concluded with thanks to Raivo Rand and Evelin Idarand for their work over the past term in strengthening cooperation and developing Nordic Cycling activities.

The next Nordic Cycling Annual Meeting will take place during the 2027 UEC Congress in Vienna.

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