Natascha Knaven-den Ouden has issued a stark warning about the direction of women’s cycling. The founder of NXTG Racing argues that recent professionalisation at the top level has outpaced the sport’s underlying structure. In her view, budgets are being pulled into headline salaries while the pipeline of riders and the staffing needed to support them are being left behind.
Knaven-den Ouden points to a paradox created by WorldTour growth. Rosters were allowed to expand, minimum salaries rose, and blue-riband events such as Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France Femmes and Sanremo were added. Yet she observes WorldTeams shrinking to 14 to 16 riders because wages have grown faster than overall budgets. That squeeze has knock-on effects. Some teams struggle to commit to the full WorldTour calendar because they lack the numbers to cover parallel race programmes, and the money required to pay riders is limiting investment in staff, coaching and camps. In short, teams are becoming rider-heavy and infrastructure-light.
Her concern extends to the sport’s base. Development squads are scaling down, Continental teams are disappearing, and the sub-WorldTour calendar remains fragile. Races that once provided vital steps for young riders are either gone or upgraded to a level that raises the drawbridge. She cites the Scheldeprijs moving to 1.Pro as an example that looks positive on paper, but reduces accessible start lines for athletes who need learning space. Without regular .2 and strong national-level racing, fewer riders are prepared for the jump to elite level, and the talent stream narrows.
The diagnosis is simple. Visibility and top tier budgets have grown, but depth has not. Knaven-den Ouden likens the situation to building a house by starting with the roof. Without foundations, the structure will not hold. She believes that unless the base is rebuilt, the WorldTour will struggle to sustain itself.
Her solution is a European Women’s Development League that formalises the pathway beneath the WorldTour. The framework would use what already exists rather than invent new events. Selected .2 races, upgraded national races and a handful of .1 fixtures would be grouped into a season-long competition with rankings. Eligibility would focus on club, Continental and Pro-Conti style squads while excluding top 100 UCI riders to preserve opportunities for genuine development. The proposal starts small with 8 to 10 races across 4 to 5 countries, then grows to 20 to 25 events with an official ranking, ultimately creating a clear pyramid from clubs to the Development League and then to the WorldTour.
She has also called on sponsors to back the base rather than only the biggest teams or individual stars. In her words, brands with vision could support an entire generation by investing in this missing layer and showing long term commitment to the sport’s health. The riders exist. The organisers exist. Many of the races exist or can be revived. What is missing is structure and shared ownership between the UCI, federations, organisers and teams.
Knaven-den Ouden’s message is not that growth at the top has been wrong. It is that the sport must match that growth with patient investment in the ladder beneath it. Create space to learn. Protect entry points. Fund staff and support systems, as well as salaries. Build the foundation so the roof has something to rest on.
