Key Takeaways:
– Recent UCI seminars focused on sustainability, women’s cycling team structures, safety, and financial equality within professional road cycling.
– Medical updates on impacts of repeated carbon monoxide inhalation and pregnancy in women’s cycling were discussed.
– Several women’s teams have already applied for UCI Women’s ProTeam status in 2025.
– A working group has been formed to consider future registration of events and principles of financial fairness for the period 2026-2028.
– The Professional Cycling Climate Action Working Group was launched to address climate change in the sport.
Professional road cycling recently experienced a significant deal of progress during a two-day seminar held at the annual UCI Women’s WorldTour and UCI WorldTour. Stakeholders deliberated on issues in the sport, focusing particularly on sustainability, financial fairness, the restructuring of women’s cycling teams, and rider safety.
Seminar Highlights: Medical Updates and Technological Fraud
To kick off the seminar, attendees, which included UCI President David Lappartient, President of the Association Internationale des Groupes Cyclistes Professionnels Brent Copeland, and CPA Women’s Manager Alessandra Cappellotto, were brought up to speed with the latest medical data. This data touched on subjects such as the effects of repeated carbon monoxide inhalation on performance and pregnancy in women’s cycling.
Further, updates were given on the UCI’s ongoing fight against technological fraud in the sport. “Our aim is to develop confidential sources and actionable intelligence to ramp up the effectiveness of this program,” stated Nick Raudenski, Head of the Fight Against Technological Fraud.
Revamping Women’s Cycling Through UCI ProTeams
The next topic of discussion centered around women’s cycling. 2025 will introduce the concept of UCI Women’s ProTeams. This new structure is set to align the women’s professional teams with the existing men’s team tiers of WorldTeams, ProTeams, and Continental Teams.
The UCI confirmed that seven women’s teams have already registered for UCI Women’s ProTeam status in 2025, while other teams plan to join in the following year.
Working Towards Financial Fairness
Looking ahead, principles of financial fairness for teams in the period of 2026-2028 are currently being worked on by a special working group selected by the Professional Cycling Council. These principles will guide the registration of events on the UCI WorldTour Calendar.
Emphasis on Sustainability in Cycling
Concerns over climate change led to a seminal discussion about a sustainability strategy for professional cycling. The discussion culminated in the launch of the Professional Cycling Climate Action Working Group.
Composed of UCI teams, riders, organisers, and sponsors, the new working group will play a pivotal role in formulating the sport’s stance on environmental issues. The attendees equally shared their visions on the importance of sustainability for cycling and its role in addressing the climate crisis.
Final Discussions on Road Safety
The seminar wrapped up with discussions led by SafeR, an organization dedicated to promoting safety in both men’s and women’s road cycling. An official update on SafeR’s ongoing efforts to enhance rider safety, as well as a 2025 action plan, is expected at the onset of next season.
These discussions hint at a promising future for professional cycling, with emphasis on sustainability, gender equality, technological fairness, and athlete safety. The upcoming season will reveal how successful these endeavors have been.