When you think of Switzerland, you think of beautiful mountains, stunning views, sleek roads. You probably also immediately think of watches, chocolate and cheese fondue. Switzerland is also home to lots of international sports federations. UEFA, FIFA, the IOC and, of course, the UCI. Whereas most federations are hermetic fortresses, where you don't get in without an invitation and screening, it is slightly different for the UCI. The Centre Mondial du Cyclisme (CMC) in Aigle is open to the public (almost) every day. Indeed, you can have lunch in the restaurant or a coffee on the terrace. Meanwhile, future stars from lesser-known countries are training. Overlooking the BMX track and inside, you can go on the cycling track. It's a beautiful place and then the location at the bottom of the Alpes Vaudoises not yet included. If one place is Cycling Destination Approved, it is this one. We will take you there.
Text: Sander Kolsloot, photos: Sander Kolsloot / Mark Heij / Alain Rumpf
Impressive on arrival
When you turn on the CMC with the car, you have to blink. At first you think: is it behind this field? Then you think: 'wow'. The building has a distinctive architecture and the road leading to it is marked with rainbow lanes. Upon entering, you first have to cross an imposing bridge before entering the tall doors of the World Cycling Federation headquarters. It is a beautiful picture, although the exterior does have a lot of concrete.
If you come by bike, you will probably enter 'at the back'. Then you ride along the water and enter by the restaurant's terrace. There you'll also find a pole with a set of keys where you can cycle the basic things on your bike. Super handy. In the shop they also have some small bike stuff available so you can always go there. There you'll also find parking spaces for your bike. Big plus.
Shop and mini museum
Upon entering the Centre Mondial du Cyclisme, you can immediately turn left to marvel at some stunning items. The bikes of some world champions can be found there. These include Mathieu van der Poel's beautiful Canyon (we were there in 2023, before Glasgow), we saw Tom Pidcock's bike, Van Vleuten's winning rocket and quite a few other beautiful paraphernalia. You can also purchase a few items, such as your own World Cup jersey (not done) and other items from the local clothing sponsor. It's a great place to start your visit to the CMC.
Cycling track
Coming out of the shop, there's no getting around it. The cycling track that is actually the beating heart of the Centre Mondial du Cyclisme calls to you. On the track you will find all kinds of pictures of former champions, where we also find some Dutchmen, such as Joop Zoetemelk. There is also a nice board with pros who once trained at the CMC. Most famous name? Victoria Pendleton! The cycling track is mainly for training as it is officially NET too short for races. For a nation that prides itself on precision, this is strange. But oh well, it's also the training centre. You can make use of it too, as there are beginner's courses for the track (as well as the BMX track) offered. For CHF 60, they will take you.
The heart of cycling
That this really is the beating cycling heart of the world is shown by the role of the CMC. Everywhere you see flags of exotic cycling countries such as Azerbaijan, Eritrea and Peru. There are a number of boxes in the corridors, to be shipped to the Caucasus. The Centre Mondial du Cyclisme provides space for talented riders from countries like these to develop. They train here in Switzerland and the CMC is the home base. So if you go cycling here, you might just bump into the champion of Chile or the Philippines. That does make this a special place. You can also book a training camp yourself, which is certainly not free, but then you have the best of the best.
More to see (and do)
Big tip if you are here: take a guided tour. Because then you can really look behind the scenes. The tour takes you to, among other things, the mechanics training centre, the best strength training room we have ever seen and you can also look under the cycling track.
BMX track
If you thought you had seen it all, think again. Outside, there is an extensive BMX facility, where you will often enough see professionals training, but where you too can have a go and see if BMXing is something for you. As with the track, there is a beginner's course for BMX, where you will be taken around the track for CHF 60 (and signing a disclaimer). The start is high, hard and fast. Not for the faint hearted.
Restaurant
When you've seen everything then you can settle down in the restaurant. Enjoy a Velosophe beer there, or the lunch prepared for UCI staff and other guests. Plus point: here you can even meet the UCI president. Pretty funny right? The dishes bear the apt names 'menu sportif' and 'menu velodrome'. The quality is Swiss, in other words, good.
Why the Centre Mondial du Cyclisme is labelled Cycling Destination Approved
This venue breathes cycling and has everything for a super fun afternoon or morning on the two-wheeler. Even if you don't want an introductory course, you can get a whiff of the real thing here. With all the services and options, this is a perfect spot to start a ride.
