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Follow us on GoogleThe 2026 Annual rider survey carried out by The Cyclists' Alliance has been published, with findings showing both progress and persistent disparities in the women's pro peloton. The Alliance presented the data, taken from 127 riders across six disciplines, highlighting key statistics and priorities for change.
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The WorldTeam riders are experiencing greater progress
Progress must be celebrated: WorldTeam has built strongest foundations for change
The survey does not only present areas where improvement is desperately needed, but also points out that progress has been made.
Read also
Understandably, the most obvious progress has been made at the top end of the sport, with 90% of WorldTeam riders on contracts over two years, with regular medical screening provided. Additionally, only 19% of WorldTeam riders reported that they had to cover their own medical costs.
WorldTeam riders also have reached a standard minimum wage of €38,000 (~£31 ,762/~$42,639). Some top riders are paid far more than that, with rumoured offers for the top riders reported to be around €1 million. (~£835,690/$1,121,775).
Disparity is huge between the levels of women's cycling
According to The Cyclist's Alliance, who shared extracts of the report on their social media channels, there are persistent disparities between levels of the women's peloton.
Read more below the photo!
The Cyclists' Alliance spoke about the report on their social media channels
Among the ProTeam, and even more so Continental, riders, things have not progressed quite as quickly or as far. Whilst ProTeam minimum salaries have been introduced, 75% of Continental riders receive no salary from their team.
75% of Continental riders racing with no salary, report finds
Some more of the statistics from the Continental riders are shocking to read.
52% of riders at that level report uncovered travel costs, 33% report unpaid expenses, 56% negotiated or signed contracts without legal assistance, and 79% are on one-year contracts. In the WorldTeam riders, only 10% reported single year contracts.
The disparity has a huge effect on the rides, with 73% of Continental riders citing financial pressure as key reasons of early career exit.
Some things all riders agree on, no matter the level
Some issues reflected in the report were important to all riders, no matter the level. The main two were improving safety, and increasing coverage.
For 49% of all riders a high priority was greater visibility of racing, and coverage of value for sponsors and fans.
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Grace Brown is the president of the Alliance
The Cyclists' Alliance already ran a campaign on the lack of start-to-end coverage of women's races, highlighting what fans missed in Paris-Roubaix, and Stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes aves Zwift.
The report said, '49% of respondents want greater visibility for women’s races to grow audiences, sponsor value and long-term investment among their top 3 advocacy priorities.'
Everyone wants higher levels of race safety
Most overwhelmingly, the high majority of respondents in the survey saw lower risks within the peloton as a high concern. The statistics show the importance of this issue.
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The women would like greater race safety
71% of riders identified dangerous rider behaviour as a concern, 68% identified poor road surfaces, 65% identified road furniture, 62% identified unsafe final kilometre, and 48% identified dangerous vehicle driving.
The riders voted for greater safety protocols, with 31% in Continental, 52% in ProTeam and 74% in WorldTeam thinking it was within the top three issues of the sport.
Six top priorities listed
The report included a list of the top 6 advocacy priorities for the alliance.
Read more below the photo!
They are as follows:
- Financial Security
- Race Safety
- Health & Welfare
- Safeguarding
- Development
- Broadcast Visibility
Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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Latest Comments
- I’m still figuring out cyclocross: do the riders use the same bikes for the grass, sand and mud, or change them during the race?jeremya02-11-2026
- £50 seems a bit steep for a day out, though I suppose it’s a major event and the demand is clearly there. Do family tickets make it much more affordable?tourdeforce902-11-2026
- Fifteen thousand is a serious crowd for a World Cup round. Glasgow could be a huge moment for British ‘cross if Mason can get near the podium again.jennifer1902-11-2026
- Those junior races are a great addition — it gives young riders a proper spotlight before the elites take over. Hope the course makes the most of the park rather than just being a muddy spectator scrum!samanthak02-11-2026
- Fantastic to see cyclocross getting this kind of response in Scotland. A packed Kelvingrove Park should make for a brilliant atmosphere, especially with Mason racing on home roads.raceready702-11-2026
- No explanation after 15 years feels a bit thin. The budget pressure may be unrelated, but it’s hard not to wonder if all these changes are connected.samanthak02-11-2026
- I’m still learning how team directors work—does the head sports director decide race tactics, or is that mainly down to the riders and the person in the team car?velodromevirtuoso102-11-2026
- A proper changing of the guard at EF, especially with Carapaz going too. Hope they don’t lose the team identity in the reshuffle.cadencekingm02-11-2026
- White coming back just before Wegelius leaves makes the timing look significant, even if EF haven’t said there’s a connection. Interested to see who gets the head DS role.raceready702-11-2026
- Fifteen years is a huge stint in modern cycling. Wegelius’ knowledge of EF and its riders will be hard to replace.robert6502-11-2026