Women’s WorldTour rider salaries increase by 25 per cent, according to UCI

The salaries for women’s WorldTour riders has increased by 25 per cent, according to the UCI.

Cycling’s international governing body introduced Women’s WorldTeams for the first time in 2020, along with a range of measures to improve the working conditions for pros, including a minimum salary, health insurance and maternity leave. 

The UCI announced on Thursday (May 20) that the average salary of pros in the Women’s WorldTeams has increased by 25 per cent from 2020 to 2021, as the organisation plans to increase the minimum salary to the same level as men’s ProTeams in the next few years. 

According to the governing body, the plan is to bring women’s top tier teams in line with men’s second tier squads because they are most similar in terms of resources, structure and number of people employed. 

UCI president David Lappartient said: “The rise in UCI Women’s WorldTeams salaries and budgets shows that the reform of professional women’s road cycling, as set out in cycling’s Agenda 2022, is having a positive impact on women riders and their teams. 

“There is still work to be done to strengthen the sector and continue to develop it, but the creation of the UCI Women's WorldTeams, four years after the creation of the UCI Women's WorldTour, is a central element for the growth of women's cycling.” 

The UCI employed an independent auditor, EY Lausanne, to analyse the average salary of female pros. 

According to the study, men’s ProTeam riders earned 67.53 per cent more than female WorldTour pros in 2020, but this has dropped to 44.21 per cent this year. 

The average budget for top tier women’s teams has also increased by 22 per cent.  

The minimum salary for female riders was €15,000 (£12,900) in 2020, rising to €20,000 (£17,200) for this season.

Next season the pay will jump up to €27,000 before matching men’s ProTeams in 2023, at €32,100 (£27,600). 

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The UCI has already made health insurance, life insurance, maternity leave, a maximum number of race days, and paid holidays mandatory for Women’s WorldTeams. 

From next season pension contributions will also be obligatory for WWT teams.