The Union Cycliste Internationale was founded in Paris in 1900.
The UCI was established on 14 April 1900 by national cycling organisations from Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland. Its creation provided an international body to coordinate racing rules and represent cycling across borders.
The organisation later became the global governing body for road, track, cyclo-cross, mountain bike, BMX and other cycling disciplines. It sanctions world championships, maintains regulations and oversees international rankings and competition structures.
The UCI’s headquarters are now in Aigle, Switzerland, where it also operates the World Cycling Centre. That modern location can cause confusion about the founding city: the organisation began in Paris before moving its headquarters. The UCI should also be distinguished from national federations, which organise domestic racing under the international body’s rules.