8 October 2026 – The Cyclists’ Alliance (TCA) welcomes the UCI’s investment in crash and injury research and calls for transparent data and further investigation following preliminary findings of more frequent and severe injuries among women competing at WorldTour events. This ongoing study provides an important foundation for understanding rider safety and measuring future improvements.
At the Montreal Congress, UCI Medical Director Xavier Bigard reported 4.3 times as many head injuries and 2.3 times as many concussions among women. The UCI also reports that return to competition takes twice as long on average. These findings warrant urgent attention, with clear definitions and exposure measures essential to interpreting the comparisons.
TCA calls on the UCI to publish the full methodology and anonymised supporting data, including the races and riders studied, reporting sources, injury definitions, exposure adjustments and statistical uncertainty. Peer-reviewed publication would enable independent scrutiny and strengthen the evidence informing safety decisions.
Bigard identified impaired bone health, hormonal disturbances and reduced energy availability as a possible explanation for the fracture findings, explicitly acknowledging uncertainty. In 2024, TCA submitted a proposal asking the UCI to include annual REDs screening and bone mineral density assessment in mandatory medical examinations for Women’s WorldTeams. Progressing this request could support earlier identification and care. With informed consent and medical confidentiality protected, screening findings linked to injury data could also help test whether bone health contributes to fracture risk.
Similarly, suggestions that greater variation in women’s technical skills explains crash patterns require evidence showing how skills were assessed and and did the data show a link between those assessments and crash risk? Other potential measures also merit examination. Our 2026 rider survey found that one-year contracts covered 79% of Continental respondents, compared with 10% of WorldTeam respondents. Further research should examine whether contract insecurity and pressure to secure results influence risk-taking or decisions about returning to competition.
The recovery gap also deserves equal scrutiny. How were timelines calculated, and does follow-up capture riders’ experiences and access to diagnosis, rehabilitation and specialist care? TCA’s 2026 survey illustrates why these distinctions warrant investigation as regular medical screening was reported by 90% of WorldTeam respondents, compared with 17% of Continental respondents. Uncovered medical or physiotherapy costs were reported by 19% and 54%, respectively. These disparities demonstrate why access to care should form part of injury research across the racing pathway. Explaining the reported recovery gap between women’s and men’s WorldTour riders requires comparable evidence on the care received by those riders.
“We welcome the UCI’s investment in understanding crashes and injuries. This dataset is an important foundation for improving rider safety,” said Grace Brown, President of The Cyclists’ Alliance. “Behind these figures are riders whose health and livelihoods are affected. While the data is eye-opening, we want to be careful in making assumptions about the causes. Further investigations require consultation with the riders to understand the on-road lived experience and their recovery journey post-crashing. Riders must be involved in that work, so the findings lead to effective protection and better-supported recovery.”
TCA invites the UCI to confirm a timetable for publication, independent review and further research with rider representatives, establishing a robust baseline. This evidence must underpin targeted interventions, measurable safety improvements and public reporting on progress.
