Money, safety and technology, racing calendars, fan engagement and commercial rights are the big topics up for discussion as cycling's governing body prepares to launch consultations on the future of the organisational model for men's and women's professional road cycling.
As new reforms look set to sweep through cycling, women's teams, riders and staff have a major stake in the process, with FDJ United-SUEZ manager Stephen Delcourt and former Tour de France winner Demi Vollering confirm they plan to be heavily involved.
"We really want to be a leader in these new reforms. We have a strong base and a long history in cycling in general," Delcourt told Cyclingnews and select members of the media in a 'Late Conversation' roundtable on Thursday.
Latest Videos From
"Now, nobody can tell us that women's cycling is a minor sport or a small sport. Especially in cycling, they are the future, and the team want to support them and to change, not for a revolution of the sport but to support them for an evolution."
According to a letter from the UCI that was sent with the subject header 'Reform of Professional Cycling' and addressed to the presidents of the teams association (AIGCP), the race organisers' association (AIOCC), the riders' association (CPA), and the various national federations, the consultations aim to strengthen cycling's long-term appeal and sustainability.
In addition, it invited all riders, organisers, representatives and owners of UCI teams, as well as representatives of National Federations – to contribute individually to this discussion by submitting their views and proposals on key topics by April 30.
UCI President David Lappartient highlighted areas of recent success, including the globalisation of the sport and the growth of women’s cycling, but also noted significant shortcomings in the sport's overall economics.
Vollering and her teammates reviewed the stakeholder form after Delcourt requested their input and opinions on the topics under discussion.
"It's nice that UCI sent us a form like this where we can put our opinions. I think we have a lot of good opinions ready," said Vollering, who will kick off her Spring Classics campaign at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday.
"To be honest, I've worked a little bit on the points in the last few days, but as the races are coming, I'm more focused on the races coming soon. So I will sit down later and think more about it.
"In general, I think we can do so much better, since so many people ride a bike already in normal life, so it's an easy sport for a lot of people to connect with. They know the feeling of riding a bike, so for fan engagement, I have a lot of thoughts on how to improve cycling. Of course, I first want to share my points with my teammates and Stephen, for example, and then with the UCI. It's good to have these talks and to think about it."
'What matters is pushing for our best future together'
Delcourt noted that the consultation process is expected to cover a wide range of topics, including the calendar and participation, the economic model, fan engagement, safety, and the integrity of results.
"What is important for us is to respect the opinion of every stakeholder. I have my opinion, but I know the riders have another opinion; we can also disagree. What matters is pushing for our best future together, because we want the same things," Delcourt said.
"We need to respect the opinions of the organisers, but also the biking industry. We talk [about this topic] a lot, but sometimes we forget the bike industry. We also want to include the agents at the table because they have opinions."
Vollering and Delcourt questioned the sustainability of a growing top-tier racing calendar, which provides limited work-life balance when the team, riders, and staff work more than 10 consecutive months each year.
"On my side, I want to respect the partnership and to respect how the partners help us to grow and to respect the human. And when I say 'respect the human,' I mean respect the riders and the staff," Delcourt said.
"How can we continue to have a 10-month season, for example. The riders and staff need to have a holiday. They need a private life; one topic that's really important to me is respecting that. To respect also, and to install fair play; financial fair play is not the case for the moment; we need to be more modern."
The UCI introduced minimum salaries for the top tier of women's cycling in 2020, along with mandatory live television and live streaming of races on the Women's WorldTour. The was also the inclusion of a women's race at Paris-Roubaix in 2021, the rebirth of the women's Tour de France in 2022 and, while those marked a significant step in the professionalisation and visibility of women's cycling, there are still areas that need to improve.
"I'm really happy that we can be involved. Everyone must be involved, like Stephen said, not only some stakeholders, but really everyone, because we all want the same, and that is to make the sport better," said Juliet Berthet (née Labous).
"I'm the athlete representative for the road cycling, so I'm also hoping some girls from other teams can feel open to just talk about this and that we can all share ideas.
"It's not easy, it's not a black-and-white idea, but I think we need some time, and it's great that we have a chance to make this work."
