Cynisca Cycling, the US-based women’s Continental team, has made a public call for $1 million in sponsorship funding before August 15th as it works to step up to ProTeam level and pursue an invitation to the 2026 Tour de France Femmes. The request, issued this week, is aimed at securing the team’s long-term ambitions as well as its short-term viability.
“We’re not closing down shop right now or in the near future,” said General Manager Robin Farina. “We have support and are working hard to keep the program running because it’s a priority for us.”
Now in its third year, the team’s foundational aim remains unfulfilled: to reach the highest level of the sport and develop North American talent for events like the Tour de France Femmes and the 2028 Olympics. To do that, Cynisca intends to build a dual-structure model: an eight-rider development squad at the Continental level and a 10-rider ProTeam roster. Riders would be moved between levels depending on form and readiness.
Farina explained that the current structure of women’s cycling lacks that kind of flexibility, saying: “Women’s cycling is currently a sink-or-swim situation. There aren’t many places for riders to go unless you put them in the biggest races and let them see how they do.”
The team has already built a base in France, operating out of the Château de Saint-Martory near the Pyrenees, where riders can train and live while adjusting to European racing. Cynisca has raced a largely UCI 1.1 calendar in Europe this year, but also made its debut in top-tier events, including the Tour of Flanders and Amstel Gold Race.
The $1 million deadline is tied to the UCI’s August 15th application process for 2026 ProTeam licensing, which requires a financial guarantee and evidence of operational stability. Farina said the team is determined to apply, but the process can’t go forward unless that money is in place.
Photo Credit: PelotonBriefWhile Cynisca has so far relied on a mix of private donations and industry partners including Specialized, Shimano and Pearl Izumi, Farina acknowledged that individual donor models aren’t sustainable in the long term. “A person can only write a cheque for so long before they get fatigued,” she said. “This has happened over and over again in our sport.”
Unlike traditional sports teams, cycling lacks ticket revenue, consistent media rights income, or commercial returns that attract long-term investors. “Cycling teams will always be hard because we don’t have that consistent revenue. It’s like selling seats, but we don’t have an arena,” Farina added.
Despite that, she sees potential for corporate partners to make a meaningful impact at a fraction of the cost seen in men’s racing. “A men’s WorldTour team like UAE operates on a $60 million annual budget. For a women’s team, we’re asking for a million dollars. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a lot to compete at the highest level – it’s a pretty good bargain.”
The team is already attracting attention from riders around the world, with Farina receiving 25 to 30 applications a day. While they don’t yet have the funds to chase big names, she is confident in their ability to spot and develop talent. Former riders include Mara Roldan, now with Picnic-PostNL, and Fiona Mangan, who raced the Tour de France Femmes this year with Winspace Orange Seal.
If the team secures the funding, the goals are clear: a ProTeam licence, a place in the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, and the development of North American riders capable of winning it – or reaching the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. But if the money doesn’t come, the outcome may be a scaled-down version of the team based solely in the US, and the closure of their European base.
“Shutting down our cycling team isn’t just about ending a sports programme,” Farina said. “It would mean shutting down a business model that includes infrastructure and tourism. This base in France is a fantastic thing we’ve built… It gives our riders a place to stay so they don’t feel lost when they move to Europe.”
“We’re doing everything we can to keep this program going,” she concluded. “We should have a clearer picture in the next 20 days.”
