Speaking during a private audience with officials from both the UEC and African Cycling Confederation, the 82-year-old leader of the Catholic Church said the values of sport in general are being "tainted" by issues including doping, dishonesty, disrespect and corruption.

He did, however, praise cycling for promoting virtues "such as patience, integrity, altruism and team spirit".

"In road cycling we can see how the whole team works together during races," he said.

"When sport becomes an end in itself, and the person an instrument at the service of other interests such as prestige and profit, then distortions appear that taint it.

"I am thinking of doping, dishonesty, disrespect for oneself and one's opponents, and corruption."

Elsewhere at the Congress, amendments to the UEC's constitution were unanimously approved, including those allowing for greater female representation in the body's governance.

As approved by the Congress, from Spring 2021 at least two women must sit on the seven-strong UEC Management Board.

Four must be among the 15 European electoral delegates and two must be on the International Cycling Union (UCI) European Management Committee.

That features seven Europeans in all.

UEC President Rocco Cattaneo said the Congress heralded "a new era" for cycling in Europe.

"Sport and society as a whole are experiencing significant changes and we need to follow the initiatives of the International Olympic Committee and the UCI to promote the increased representation of women in management positions, also bearing in mind that European cycling represents 80 per cent of the world movement with 17 per cent of women," he said.

The next UEC Congress will be held in Tel Aviv in Israel from March 13 to 15, 2020.