UCI planning expanded cyclo-cross World Cup, new women's categories

The UCI is planning to bring parity in racing opportunity and prize lists between the men and women's fields in the Cyclo-cross World Cup. Peter Van den Abeele, the UCI's head of off-road disciplines, described plans to add a women's Junior 17-18 field and increase the prize list for women over the next four seasons in a press release this week.

The decisions come after the UCI Management Committee's last meeting in June, when the UCI decided to make the prize list for the overall UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup winners equal beginning with the upcoming season.

"We're reaching a high of €155,000 which is an addition of €30,000," Van den Abeele said. "We've already noticed a crossover of riders between road, mountain bike and cyclo-cross, and we have a good mixture of athletes. This significant financial effort will now attract even more athletes to compete in our series. It's really a decent payout which is guaranteeing gender parity between male and female riders in cyclo-cross."

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There will also be a minimum prize pay rise for women for each round in the series, which is paid by the race organisers, but to reduce the immediate burden on the races the increases will be phased in over four seasons starting in 2019.

"The minimum prize money per round for women paid by organisers will rise from €10,400 to €39,500 over the next four years, bringing it to the level of the men's allowance. Each season starting from 2019/2020, close to €10,000 extra will go into the female riders' purses. As this will have a significant impact on the organisers' budgets, there will be no changes for the upcoming season. The increase will be implemented gradually, and we're thinking of giving something in return to sort of offset their additional costs."

The UCI has also confirmed plans to add a Junior Women's 17-18 year old field to the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in 2020, followed by adding the same category to the World Cup circuit beginning with the 2020-2021 season.

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