Season after season, the gap between women's and men's cycling has been narrowed. More resources, more support, more races and greater visibility—in recent years enormous strides have been made, yet they are still not sufficient. The annual report from TCA (The Cyclists' Alliance), one of the most important trade unions in women's cycling, has documented the critical issues within the movement that must be addressed to ensure not only equality, but also greater safety in racing and protections outside of competitions.

The organization, which has former Pro Grace Brown as president, has been active since 2017 and recently published the "State of Women's Professional Peloton 2026". A total of 127 athletes were surveyed, 118 of whom compete on the road, though many of them are involved in multiple disciplines. The survey included 52 riders from the Continental category, 21 from Professional and 42 from World Tour to investigate the group's issues in depth. The study revealed that cycling is a sport that creates opportunities for women thanks to new UCI regulations and the work of trade unions, but despite this there are various critical issues that must not be overlooked. By combining the collected data, six priorities for women's cycling were identified that the Cyclists' Alliance will commit to pursuing during the 2027 season: Financial security, racing safety, access to medical care, athlete protection, development races and growth opportunities, media visibility.

Financial Security

Despite the introduction of a minimum salary in 2020 for the World Tour category and in 2025 for Professional categories, financial security remains one of the most pressing issues. Among the athletes interviewed, 90% have contracts of two years or less, which creates instability and the need to have a backup plan, perhaps through studies (32%). The most problematic category is undoubtedly that of Continental athletes, with 75% of them reporting they receive no salary and more than half also reporting uncovered travel expenses. This is a huge gap between World Tour and Continental teams that also affects access to medical care, which is often quite basic. According to point three of the document, only 17% of Continental team athletes reported undergoing regular medical check-ups compared to 90% of World Tour athletes. The TCA's objective is therefore to work to ensure more accessible care for all with greater investment in research to better understand the nutrition, training and recovery of female athletes.

Racing Safety

One of the most interesting points in the report and which receives the most attention is that of racing safety, a hot topic on which the UCI continues to intervene. 65% of the athletes interviewed identified the condition of the roads used in races as problematic, with particular attention to the final kilometer, but it is not only the route and asphalt that represent a danger element. Also highlighted are dangerous behavior by certain athletes (71%), the proximity of motorcycles and caravan vehicles (48%) and often insufficient road closures (36%). On the safety issue, the TCA stated that it welcomes the UCI modifications in effect from January 1, 2027, which increase racing safety also with the extension of yellow cards in 1st category races, but it requests greater protection during racing, through the use of commissaires and course inspectors, aimed at all athletes, not just the main group, but also those who lose contact. Among the requests made is active monitoring of all races with related safety reports, an increase in GPS tracking, but also a campaign to increase respect within the group.

Abandonment and Athlete Protection

The document published by the Cyclists' Alliance also investigated the reasons behind athletes abandoning competitive activity. Many young women are pushed to hang up their bikes primarily by financial insecurity and racing safety concerns, but not only that... What stands out, however, is the report of a toxic environment (23% of those interviewed) in which there are episodes of bullying and high pressure from the team to return to racing even when not fully recovered from an injury. In this regard, TCA requests the extension of RED-S screening as mandatory medical monitoring. This is a set of safeguard measures concerning athletes recovering from injuries with the possibility of accessing genuine psychological support to report misconduct and pressure from team staff and medical personnel.

Development Races and Teams

Among the issues raised is the topic of development routes aimed at younger athletes. Nearly half of athletes between 19 and 22 years old believe that there are not enough races aimed at their category and that it is extremely difficult, already from the first year, to compete against top-tier champions. Many World Tour teams have a development section, most recently Lidl Trek with Italians Pegolo and Rossignoli, which allow young women to grow in highly professional environments, but the problem mainly concerns races. In 2026, the Tour de l'Avenir Femmes dedicated to under-23s was cancelled and the Tour de l'Ardèche went from seven stages (2023) to only 4, moreover many races moved up in category thus increasing the level of competition. The TCA therefore asks the UCI and national federations for support for development teams and the creation of development races to fill the void left by those cancelled.

Television Coverage

The final part of the report, but no less important for that, is dedicated to television coverage of women's races on which The Cyclists' Alliance has focused particular attention. Compared to a few years ago, thanks also to the massive work on the Classics and ASO's work on the Tour de France Femmes, many races have adequate television coverage with a large following, but when compared to the men's landscape the gap is immense. While all men's Classics, the Tour and Giro can boast complete coverage, the situation for women is far more critical. 49% of athletes expressed the need to guarantee adequate television coverage of women's races as a priority, 60% if considering only World Tour athletes. This is an opportunity to attract more fans but also to draw sponsors and thus long-term investments. TCA commits to supporting complete coverage of major races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France, which in 2026 broadcast only 3 of the 9 stages in their entirety. There is still a long way to go, but things are moving; the Tour Down Under will be broadcast from start to finish, thus inaugurating the 2027 World Tour season and finally providing visibility to women's cycling.