Last month, Olympic and World Champion Grace Brown took on the role of President for The Cyclists' Alliance (TCA). Since then, she has been working closely with our team to connect with riders, understand TCA’s current initiatives, and strategize for the future. Here, Grace shares her thoughts on taking the lead and her goals for advancing women’s cycling.
Grace, what motivated you to step forward and embrace the role of TCA President?
In retiring from professional racing, I really wanted means to stay connected with the sport in a meaningful way. TCA’s mission strongly aligns with my vision and passion for cycling, women’s sports and gender equity. The role of president was the perfect opportunity for me to continue having a positive impact on women’s professional cycling, despite stepping away from racing.
In the span of your career, what positive changes did you see within the sport?
I had a relatively short career in professional cycling, but in that time I witnessed huge changes in the sport. The most tangible change has been rider salaries, which have more than quadrupled for high value riders in the past 5 years. We are also seeing teams with greater resources across the board. One of the best changes has been the increase in broadcast of women’s races, which in turn has brought more fans to our sport.
What is your vision for the future of women’s cycling? What areas need the most focus and change?Despite the positive growth of the sport, there are still some areas that are lagging behind. We are particularly aware that growth at the top doesn’t always trickle down. For example, the conditions on Continental level UCI teams still leave a lot to be desired, with many riders still without a salary. We want to make sure this cohort of women are not left behind, especially because they are in an important and vulnerable development phase of their careers.Another topic that is always at the forefront of our minds is race safety. With the level of the women’s peloton increasing each year, the dangers of the sport are becoming more prevalent. This is something that all stakeholders in cycling, including riders, need to work together on improving.
Given that the sport has developed and changed since TCA was originally founded in 2017, how do you envision keeping the unity within the women's peloton? Are there new priorities of focus for the new generation of riders?
It’s true that the interests and concerns of the women’s peloton have changed a lot since TCA began. 8 years ago the lack of liveable income and televised coverage of races were huge issues for women cyclists. Those areas have seen big improvements thanks to our advocacy. Now young riders are being contracted to highly professional World Tour teams straight onto substantial salaries, with any resource they could dream of right at their fingertips. Engaging with those newer riders, who maybe feel like they are “living the dream”, is one of our current challenges. It is one of my priorities for the coming year to communicate the importance of having a united voice as riders, so that when things do become difficult we have leverage to negotiate on matters that affect us. It is also crucial for riders to recognise that just because the top tier of the sport has seen their circumstances greatly improve, it does not mean it’s universal. We need to continue advocating for the conditions of Continental level riders as well as riders of disciplines other than road.
What role do you see TCA playing in guiding this change?
TCA aims to represent all women racing in UCI disciplines. It’s important that there is a strong entity looking after the interests of the riders when decisions are being made about racing and employment conditions. TCA works hard to influence key decision makers in the professional cycling world so that there are fair working conditions for all riders. We also work hard to educate riders about their legal rights so that they can make better decisions throughout their careers.
Why do you believe it’s essential to have an independent union representing riders?
Since TCA is independent from the UCI, we are an organisation that is solely beholden to the women riders. Our number one priority is the interests of our member riders, and we are able to fight for these without being compromised by any obligations to other stakeholders.
Now that you’re back home in Australia and retired from racing, what are you most excited to enjoy?
I’m really excited to be back surrounded by my family and friends. I’ve missed so many big occasions in the last decade, so I’m looking forward to being more present for the important people in my life. Also being home in Australia brings me a sense of calm and comfort that I miss when I’m in Europe. I love waking up to hear the songs of all the native Australian birds outside my window. Transitioning away from professional sport is difficult, but I know I’ve got a great support network and plenty of exciting goals off the bike to ease the process.
A big thank you to Grace for taking the time for this interview!