The grand finale of the Tour de France Femmes last weekend, a historic battle between Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma, put women’s cycling under the biggest spotlight the sport has ever seen, Media coverage and fan engagement is at an all-time high and at the pinnacle of the Women’s WorldTour, it seems that the leading riders have never had it so good. However, as a recent survey by the The Cyclists’ Alliance has revealed, there is still plenty more that needs to be done in the lower ranks of the sport if we want to see this growth continue.
Now in its seventh year, the annual TCA survey has shown that 27% of non-World Tour riders still receive no salary or income, with 55% of riders earning less than €10,000 a year. These findings raise concerns about the working conditions for the huge number of women riding at a Continental level who have an expectation to compete against WorldTour riders, but without the proper support or income in order to train to do so. At the Tour de France Femmes, plenty of riders who are contracted to the seven Continental teams competing at the race, did not make it to the finish atop Alpe d’Huez (perhaps reflective of their working conditions).
As has been indicated with the recent stories surrounding Demi Vollering’s alleged one million euro contract, the TCA survey did show that salaries in the women’s peloton have been trending positively overall since 2018, but this isn’t necessarily having a trickle down effect. In fact, the disparity between WorldTour and all other riders is increasing.
Job security also remains an issue on the women’s side of the sport, with 50% of riders surveyed having a contract which is only one year long. Perhaps due to this reason, one in four riders surveyed work a second job alongside racing with only half relying on cycling as a sole source of income. According to the survey, outside of the WorldTour, financial reasons are the most important issue and a cause for riders to consider leaving the sport early.
It isn’t just from a monetary perspective that the TCA survey raises some serious issues, either. Working conditions remain a concern, with nearly one in five riders stating that they feel unsafe in their cycling team. Since 2023, the percentage of riders reporting that they feel unsafe in their team has doubled.
The sport’s governing body, the UCI, is actively implementing changes for the upcoming season which should help to improve the situation when it comes to riders outside of the Women’s WorldTour. In 2025, the UCI will implement the Pro Continental level for women’s cycling creating ‘UCI Women’s ProTeams’, all of which will have minimum wage stipulations. Riders who aren’t in their first year professional on a Pro Continental team must earn a minimum of €32,800 (if they are listed as ‘self-employed’). It isn’t yet clear which teams will have Pro Continental status or exactly how the new division will work in practice.
Iris Slappendel, a former professional rider and the current President of TCA pointed out that although some of the results of the survey are encouraging, there is still a serious need for attention at the lower levels of the sport – especially if we want to see racing like we've seen in the 2024 Tour de France Femmes for years to come.
"While we are encouraged by signs of progress, the 2024 survey clearly shows that the journey to equality in women's pro cycling is far from over. The growing divide between WorldTour riders and those in other tiers highlights the need for systemic change,” Slappendel said.
“Recognising these issues, TCA raised concerns with the UCI and sent a letter with several recommendations for change. We remain committed to advocating for all riders, ensuring that every woman in the peloton has the support and resources she needs to thrive."
