UCI furlough 130 employees, tickets to be refunded

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UCI said today it was furloughing its entire workforce in a bid to survive the coronavirus pandemic, either in whole or in part. 

The UCI held an emergency meeting last week in which a number of steps were decided to mitigate the economic and sporting effects of the Coronavirus, with international racing postponed until at least the beginning of June and revenue sources drying up. 

Top management and elected officials from the UCI have committed to salary cuts while 130 UCI employees are being furloughed. 

Certain negotiated steps include reimbursing all schedule entry fees for postponed activities in a “solidarity series” for the organisers.

“Calendar fees represent a significant part of the UCI’s revenue. This initiative will have consequences on the UCI’s financial results,” a statement said. 

A working group was also formed, comprising members of riders and teams.

UCI going on furlough
UCI going on furlough

“The UCI and its partners have agreed on the framework that will enable teams facing serious financial difficulties to be able to take necessary measures so they can continue in the context of the pandemic,” the UCI said. 

Road and mountain bike disciplines have been hardest hit by the suspension of racing with the Giro d’Italia, the year’s first Grand Tour, having been postponed. 

Many races have been cancelled while others such as the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege have been postponed, as has the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Championships in Germany. 

The UCI World Championships for BMX has been pushed back although the UCI said it hoped the road world championships, scheduled for Switzerland in September, could still go ahead. 

Despite the financial hit to its finances caused by the disruption of the calendar, the UCI believes it can emerge from the crisis with limited damage as long as the situation does not last longer than current predictions. 

“Inactivity is hitting athletes, teams, organisers, partners and the large majority of people and organisations that contribute to the vitality of our sport, across all its disciplines,” UCI President David Lappartient said.

“It’s a time for the cycling family to rally and, as one, prepare our sport to recover from this health and economic crisis that it has been hit by. 

“Each of us is called on to be united, responsible and strong. That is why the UCI has taken some drastic action that should enable it to weather the storm.”

The number of confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus were reported to have exceeded 1.47 million globally and the death toll crossed 87,700, according to a Reuters tally as of 0200 GMT. 

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