Six months into her leadership, Grace Brown has unveiled a bold new direction for The Cyclists’ Alliance (TCA), setting out a rider-led strategy that aims to transform the foundations of women’s professional cycling. The updated vision arrives at a pivotal time for the sport, promising stronger advocacy, expanded mentorship, and independent support structures for riders navigating an increasingly complex and unequal landscape.
Titled “The Independent Voice of Women’s Professional Cycling: Empowering Riders, Advancing Equality, Securing Futures”, the strategy is built around three pillars—advocacy, knowledge sharing, and support services. Each responds to the challenges raised in the latest TCA rider survey and reflects a deepening divide within the professional ranks, particularly for Continental-level athletes.
While top-tier women’s racing has made visible strides—greater exposure, improved pay, and growing media attention—TCA is sounding the alarm on what sits beneath the surface. More than half of Continental-level riders earned under €10,000 in 2024, while many face ongoing issues with race safety and limited broadcast coverage. These conditions are driving promising athletes out of the sport too early, and TCA’s new approach aims to break that cycle.
“We’re building a sport where riders no longer have to choose between safety, stability and performance,” said Brown. “A professional career shouldn’t come at the cost of dignity or basic protections.”
Key actions include:
- Advocacy for safer racing and visibility: From shaping the UCI’s updated ethics code to pushing through the standalone U23 women’s world championship, TCA has shown it can effect meaningful change. Their “It’s Right to Say No” campaign also equipped riders with tools to challenge unsafe or exploitative conditions.
- TCAMP mentorship programme: Offering riders insight into salary negotiation, health, and long-term career planning, TCAMP has delivered more than 1,000 hours of tailored support since its launch. In 2025, this platform will expand further to address the sport’s knowledge gaps and prepare athletes for life on and off the bike.
- Legal and ethical support: TCA has already supported over 400 riders with independent advice, from contract disputes to abuse reporting. This rider-first service remains a cornerstone of their mission.
Brown, fresh from Olympic time trial gold in Paris last year, brings not just experience but credibility to the role. As someone who’s raced at the highest level and stepped directly into a leadership position, she’s acutely aware of how uneven the rider experience can be.
“Continental riders are out there doing the same job with fewer protections, lower pay, and far less support. Our role is to ensure their voices are heard and their careers are viable.”
The Cyclists’ Alliance is funded by rider memberships, private donations and grants—deliberately independent of trade teams and governing bodies. That autonomy allows TCA to focus exclusively on rider welfare, not outside agendas. It’s also why they are calling on supporters and stakeholders across the sport to join their mission.
“If you believe in the future of women’s cycling,” said Vice President Christine O’Connell, “now is the time to get behind it.”
With survey results due for release in July 2025 and renewed calls for structural reform, the next phase of The Cyclists’ Alliance may prove just as important as its foundation. What began as a riders’ union is quickly becoming a reform engine at the heart of the women’s peloton.
