The impact of the global health crisis on the UCI's international calendar has been significant: to date, the UCI has received more than 650 requests from organizers to postpone or cancel events over a period that currently extends to the month of August. Road cycling and mountain biking are the disciplines most affected. For example, the Giro d'Italia, the Tour des Flandres and Paris-Roubaix, three UCI WorldTour events, are affected. The UCI Mountain Bike World Cross-Country Championships in Albstadt have also been postponed. In addition, several races of the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup are affected by postponements, while others had to be canceled at the request of the organizers. The UCI World Championships for BMX racing have also been postponed, while the para-cycling road races are also in danger of being canceled.

Adding to this already difficult situation is the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The UCI is suffering substantial financial losses due to the numerous competitions not taking place, for example due to registration fees not being collected or refunded.

Mountain bike World Cups of particular importance

The loss of the mountain bike events is particularly damaging for the UCI, the association writes in the press release: "The races of the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup are of particular importance to our organization in terms of revenue." The cycling world federation, which - one might think - actually has little or nothing to do with fossil fuels, surprises with this passage in the press release: "Finally, it should be noted that the asset portfolio of our federation has suffered from the effects of the pandemic on the financial markets in connection with the collapse in oil prices."

The UCI Management Committee has approved a cost-cutting plan with the following main points to keep the federation as well on track as possible:

• The UCI executives (elected and senior management) have decided to reduce their salaries or allowances
• Full or partial furloughs - in varying percentages - for all 130 UCI and UCI WCC employees
• Hiring freeze for an indefinite period
• Total revision of the projects and objectives set for 2020 and the following years, as well as ongoing projects
• Redimensioning of solidarity projects for national associations
.
• Introduction of virtual meetings for the Executive Committee, UCI commissions and seminars.
Review (in progress) the contracts of service providers at events, consultants and general providers.

Statement from UCI President David Lappartient:

"Our international federation is facing a crisis the likes of which we have not seen since the Second World War," explains UCI President David Lappartient. "Inaction is affecting athletes, teams, organizers, partners and the vast majority of people and organizations that contribute to the vitality of our sport in all its disciplines. The UCI, cycling's governing body, has not been spared, quite the contrary. The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the multiplication of postponements and cancellations of events in the UCI's international calendar and the uncertainty that weighs on the second part of the season have had a major impact on our sport in general and our federation in particular. It is time for the cycling family to come together and work as one to prepare our sport to recover from this health and economic crisis that is affecting it. Each of us is called upon to be united, responsible and strong. For this reason, the UCI has taken some drastic measures that should enable it to weather the storm. These decisions are difficult but necessary if we want to rebuild cycling after Covid-19."

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