The Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
Roberto Heras Hernández is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España a record four times. Between 1997 and 2005 he finished in the top 5 of the Vuelta every year except 1998 when he finished 6th. He won a record-tying three times, and then broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but he was eventually disqualified after being accused of taking EPO. Heras chose to fight the accusations and this resulted in a lengthy court case and appeal process.
The Amstel Gold Race is a one-day classic road cycling race held annualy since 1966 in the province of Limburg, Netherlands. It traditionally marks the turning point of the spring classics, with the climbers and stage racers replacing the cobbled classics riders as the favourites.
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish cyclist, who competed as a professional in road bicycle racing from 2002 to 2022, and now competes in gravel cycling for the Movistar Team Gravel Squad.
Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne is an annual single-day road cycling race in Belgium. It is held one day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, on the last Sunday of February or the first of March, and completes the opening weekend of the Belgian cycling season. It was ranked a 1.HC event of the UCI Europe Tour before joining the UCI ProSeries in 2020. Tom Boonen holds the most wins with three victories.
Vladimir Alexandrovich Karpets is a Russian road bicycle racer, who last rode for UCI ProTeam Movistar Team. Karpets is most notable for winning the white jersey for best young rider in the 2004 Tour de France and his victories in the overall classifications of the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour de Suisse, both in 2007. Karpets is also a two-time Olympian.
Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi is a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2004 and 2020, for the Saunier Duval–Prodir, Andalucía–Cajasur, Carmiooro NGC, Movistar Team and CCC Team squads.
La Méditerranéenne, previously known as Tour Méditerranéen, was a professional road bicycle racing event held in Spain, France and Italy, close to the Mediterranean. Run over four days, it holds a 2.1 rating on the UCI Europe Tour.
Iñaki Gastón Crespo is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer.
The Trofeo Luis Puig is a single-day road bicycle race held in Valencian Community, Spain. Originally named the Gran Premio Valencia, it was held annually from the first edition in 1969 until 2005, in which year it was promoted to be a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It was then not run for 16 years, until re-introduced under the name Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969, as the opening event of the 2021 UCI Europe Tour as a race of 1.2 status. In 2023, the race was upgraded to category 1.1. it is now named after Luis Puig, a prominent Spanish sports executive who server as president of the Union Cycliste Internationale.
Diego Ulissi is an Italian road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates.
Daniel Moreno Fernández is a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2005 and 2018 for the Relax–GAM, Omega Pharma–Lotto, Team Katusha, Movistar Team and EF Education First–Drapac p/b Cannondale teams. He specialised in mountain and high-mountain races along with Grand Tours like the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, winning three stages of the latter in 2011 and 2013.
Katusha–Alpecin was a Russian road bicycle racing team which competed at the UCI WorldTeam level using Canyon bikes. The team was created in 2008 by Igor Makarov, an ex-professional cyclist and entrepreneur. In 2017 the team took a broader international direction, still supported by Igor Makarov's company ARETI International Group, Swiss clothing company Katusha Sports and German shampoo manufacturer Alpecin. The team competed as a UCI ProTeam/WorldTour team between 2009 and 2019. Joaquim Rodríguez, Alexander Kristoff, Daniel Moreno, Simon Špilak, Filippo Pozzato, Luca Paolini, Ilnur Zakarin and Tony Martin are some of the most successful riders who rode for Katusha.
Vuelta Ciclista Mexico Telmex was an annual road cycling race in Mexico that took place over the course of eight days, involving eight stages. The Mexico national tour had a rich history dating back to the 1940s, and the latest incarnation was revived in late 2008 and early 2009 as the condensed evolution of the Vueltas de las Americas, a 21-day stage race, defunct from 2003. This national tour was ranked 2.2, according to UCI race classifications, and was a part of the UCI America Tour. Title sponsorship was provided via CONADE, as well as the Telmex Foundation, a philanthropic entity created by Telmex C.E.O., Carlos Slim. Additional sponsorship was provided previously by BMW, Mercury, Coca-Cola, NovoSportware, and Metalurgica Creativa.
Romain Sicard is a French former professional racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2009 and 2021 for the Orbea, Euskaltel–Euskadi and Total Direct Énergie teams.
Rafael Valls Ferri is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2009 and 2021 for seven different teams. Valls took four victories during his professional career – a stage at the 2010 Tour de San Luis, a stage and the general classification at the 2015 Tour of Oman, and a win in the 2019 Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia one-day race.
Caja Rural–Seguros RGA is a UCI ProTeam cycling team sponsored principally by Grupo Caja Rural, a Spanish banking group. The team participates in UCI Europe Tour races and UCI World Tour events when given a wildcard invitation. The team's administrative offices and management are based in Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, but its service course is in Alsasua, Navarra. It was announced in February 2013 that the team had acquired a co-sponsor in a subsidiary of Caja Rural and would become known as Caja Rural–Seguros RGA from 21 February 2013.
Club Deportivo Logroñés, S.A.D. was a Spanish football team based in Logroño, in the autonomous community of La Rioja. Founded in 1940, it last played in Regional Preferente de La Rioja.
The 2015 Vuelta a Andalucía was the 61st running of the Vuelta a Andalucía cycling stage race. It was rated as a 2.1 event on the 2015 UCI Europe Tour and was held from 18 to 22 February 2015, in the Andalusia region of southern Spain. Although the race lasted five days, there were six stages, with the first day split between two stages.
Carlos Barbero Cuesta is a Spanish former cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2012 to 2022. He rode in the 2015 Vuelta a España.
Alberto Sant (ESP)
Rory Sutherland (AUS)
