Dear UCI,
The Coronavirus pandemic is a global health crisis affecting all sectors as well as everyday life for millions of people. These are unprecedented times and our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones and are struggling with illness or with any adverse economic impact.
We, as representatives of the women’s peloton, elected by our peers to represent them at The Cyclists’ Alliance (TCA), are also concerned about the impact upon women’s professional cycling. We are even more concerned that we do not have adequate representation from the women’s side in the ongoing discussions concerning this pandemic and the challenges it brings.
We note the recent statement issued by the UCI (on 15 April) did not include the details of the approach for the women's race calendar, nor did it detail who was being consulted in order to make these decisions. This indicates discussions are still ongoing.
TCA was founded 2.5 years ago, supported by the women’s peloton, to represent our interests and it is more important than ever that the TCA - along with other stakeholders within the sport - are actively engaged by the UCI to fully represent women's cycling and ensure the impact on riders is at the forefront of any decisions.
As a result, we are writing to you today, to request you engage with us as riders, through the TCA - so that together we can formulate strategies to sustain and improve women's cycling. We believe the TCA can add value to any discussions as we all look to the UCI for leadership, support for women's teams and our involvement in decision making.
We, as riders, are committed to work with our growing sport and the governing body in a constructive and transparent manner. We want to be represented by an organization that we trust, is committed, understands us and has been of enormous value to many of us so far. Therefore, we call for recognition of the women’s peloton by engaging with the TCA.
Awaiting your reply,
The Rider Council