The Massi-Tactic UCI Women’s Cycling Team is facing financial challenges as it struggles to meet new regulations set by the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) requiring full-time contracts for cyclists and coaching staff by 2024. The Spanish federation stipulated before last season that teams would need to pay their riders the national Spanish minimum wage. This was delayed for 2023 in the end but is set to come into action for 2024. The team, based in Torroella de Montgrí, has enjoyed support from the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Diputació de Girona, Massi Bikes, and Tactic Sport, but its budget falls short by almost 300,000 euros in order to comply with the new rules.
“We are growing, increasing the budget each year and reaching the sporting objectives, but we need an economic boost to be able to continue competing at a high level. We want to be 100%, but unfortunately, we do not have the budget to do it. We want to take the step, but we didn’t get there and if we don’t get more sponsors we will have to stop being Continental,” said team president Sergi Güell. He noted that the team’s current budget of 285,000 euros for 2023 would have to double to meet the new requirements.
“We have been negotiating with different brands and private companies for months now, but we are in discount time. In general, there is talk of wanting to professionalize and help women’s sports, but the private sector has to react,” said Güell, acknowledging the support from various sponsors but emphasizing that more is needed for the team to continue competing at a high level.
The team recently signed Nikola Noskova for the remainder of the 2023 season.
