CPA WOMEN. TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
from 18/12/20
It was a week full of important events for the association that unites both professional and elite cyclists. After the CPA Steering Committee meeting, where the amendments to the Bylaws requested by the riders were discussed, the CPA WOMEN leaders met the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) on December 15th and Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) the day after.
CPA WOMEN Managing Director Alessandra Cappellotto, CPA General Secretary Laura Mora, Assistant Director Marion Clignet, Active Member Elisabeth Chevanne-Brachet, South Africain Road Champion and recently crowned Cycling Esports World Champion Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SD Works Cycling) and French Elite Time Trial Champion Juliette Labous (DSM Pro Cycling), both CPA WOMEN ambassadors, interfaced with UCI General Manager Amina Lanaya, President David Lappartient, Sports Director Peter Van den Abeele and Sports Projects Manager Morgane Gaultier.
The agenda covered the main issues that are important to female cyclists, starting from the Covid-19 protocol for 2021. The medical commission will meet again soon to discuss new measures as well as to debrief on 2020. For sure the vaccine will not be mandatory and regulated by national countries laws.
The recent Professional Cycling Council (PCC) approved the key principles for a series of measures aiming to improve safety conditions during road races. The stakeholders listened and shared crucial riders requests about the homologation of barriers and protections, the minimum mandatory distance between riders and vehicles, the evaluation in advance of the race course to avoid risks. Thanking male colleagues for what has been achieved so far for both male and female World Tour races, CPA women claimed and obtained the presence of women riders in the safety working group.
The athletes asked for more media exposure, which is essential for the growth of the movement. The work of their representatives to win it is still in progress, but after the Wednesday meeting that CPA WOMEN had with ASO, that organises top international women's races and is hard at work to restore and promote a new women's Tour de France from 2022, it can anticipate that there will be a wider TV coverage of women's races already in 2021. Effectively during the men's TDF '21 there will already be publicity for the women's 2022 Tour introducing the riders and teams during each stage. ASO has proved proactive welcoming the CPA WOMEN's cooperation as added values to their women's cycling communication campaign.
Another important aspect for the CPA WOMEN is the promotion of diversity and integration. For this reason the CPA WOMEN project plans to reach more and more countries around the world. The participants in the meeting also discussed the creation of a simple procedure for riders to report abuse and inadmissible ethical problems. Another topic discussed was how to find equity in prize money and about the various and complex structures of UCI Continental teams. CPA women firmly believe that a joint agreement needs to be made to create a basic salary and working conditions for all the women riders.
«More discussions on this last topic are needed. We thank everyone in the CPA, UCI and ASO for their availability and the fruitful comparison. We have always believed that team work is the key to better protect and enhance the girls we represent with pride and passion» comments at the end of the meetings CPA WOMEN Managing Director Alessandra Cappellotto.
«A difficult year for everyone is about to end, in which we have worked hard and achieved important goals for women's cycling and the future generation of professional riders. CPA WOMEN will always work with a spirit of collaboration, since the first day our motto has been: “team work makes the dream work”».
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