We've all heard about the push for one-million-euro contracts in women's cycling, and about how the sport is professionalising at an unprecedented rate, and the new teams and races cropping up year after year. It's true that money talks; more funding means bigger contracts, which eventually means better bike racing, but are dollar signs and seven-figure numbers all that matters? Hannah Barnes, Giro d'Italia Donne stage winner and former British champion, says there's a lot more we need to be thinking about.
The 33-year-old retired from professional cycling at the end of the 2023 season after a decade-long career. In that time, Barnes saw her sport grow from a place where riders were relieved to be offered contracts at all, to one in which the best athletes could demand big bucks for a signature. Once she stopped racing herself, the British rider was passionate about using her learnings from inside the peloton to educate and assist the next generation of female cyclists.
Founded in 2000, SEG is the leading talent agency in men's professional cycling, and has other divisions spanning into football and music talent. With over 180 agents in over 40 countries worldwide, Barnes explains that SEG has long been pushing to grow its presence in women's cycling and believed that she would be the ideal candidate to help them do so.
"When I came in, they were really trying to bolster the women's side of the agency and recruit other riders," Barnes explains. "A lot of the work I do is with contracts, of course, but I'm also an agent for some juniors and I believe in taking a kind of mentorship role for them. They come to me for advice and guidance and I really can help with decision making. I know agents are seen as just doing a contract, but there is a lot more to it than that."
At SEG Cycling, Barnes says the agency believes in a holistic approach to managing riders — looking after them in a multitude of different ways that go far beyond securing a paycheck.
"It is things like finding a good coach or psychologist too. The agency has some headquarters in Amsterdam so we have a gym there and a cycling lab which does bike fits, so we host that stuff as well. I wanted to come into a role where riders would feel comfortable coming to me for advice regardless of their age or experience — I do a very different job for different riders."
Barnes is adamant that agency work is not 'one size fits all', she argues that it is not about the quantity of riders she manages, but about the quality of the work she does. Her own experience in professional cycling teams has included working with riders and staff from all over the globe. This means she is well-used to dealing with different types of people.
"I really respect the riders and what they are doing because I've been there and I know how hard it is," she states. "You have to make a lot of sacrifices. You have to really care about them, and being on multiple teams with multiple nationalities and cultures helps me understand that working with a British rider will be different to an Italian rider, for example."
(Image credit: Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
The days of accepting a contract out of desperation or lack of options for female cyclists are a distant memory, Barnes believes. Instead, it is about having productive conversations to understand which types of teams fit particular personalities. Riders having the autonomy and opportunity to research the market before signing contracts is a positive sign of growth in women's cycling.
"I think it's a lot more professional now and there's a lot more to it. Before you'd just get a contract and be expected to sign but now the team needs to understand the rider and they are able to ask questions," she says.
"There are a lot of teams out there now but they might not be the right place for a certain rider and from our side, we have a good idea of how different teams run and work. It's good for us to give that advice. Above all, it's about someone looking out for you, especially with things like maternity leave clauses in contracts and important topics like that. The thing is ensuring that riders are looked after and respected, while giving them the best opportunities."
Having empathy for the athletes she works with and sticking with them through tougher times is also something that Barnes prioritises. Few people understand the ups and downs of professional sport like she does, and this is advantageous in her current line of work.
"I try to tell them that it's not smooth, there are a lot of highs and a lot of lows and the nature of the sport is that there are probably more lows than highs. But I try to make sure that they know the bad times will pass, like injuries and illness or not getting the results you want. That's all part of it, unfortunately," she states.
"On the other hand, when you are racing well and getting the results you want on a team that you love, you have to really make the most of that and absorb it so the next time you go through a rough time, you remember why it is worth it."
Despite the work she is doing to try and ensure that SEG Cycling offers the female peloton the best and most human-led support possible, Barnes also acknowledges that there is work still to be done. She knows that salaries in women's sport are far from equal compared to the men's, but she is keen to stress that professionalism across the board has still increased tenfold in recent years.
"The salaries aren't equal, but that's not women's cycling, that's just generally women's sport and careers in anything, really. But I would say the professional side of it is improving a lot. Especially since a lot of the men's teams now have women's teams, so they use the same staff and the same organisation," she notes.
"There always could be more, like having specific doctors in teams for women to understand specific science for women, but I would say that the women are looked after a lot more than they were even three or four years ago. It's definitely going in the right direction."
In a world where rider agents can often seem like faceless businessmen negotiating big deals in dark backrooms, Barnes is a breath of fresh air with her compassionate, understanding approach to the work she does. It is not only million-euro salaries which are going to push women's cycling forwards, but also powerful mentors and allies like Barnes who understand what professional athletes need — far beyond just money in their bank accounts.
