UCI Women's Continental Teams

Last Update: 19 October 2023

Welcome to the homepage for the 2023 UCI Women's Continental Teams. Here you will find all of the information we have on the logistics of forming, registering, and maintaining a UCI Continental Team. In case you have navigated here by accident, this information is specific to what the UCI has defined as a UCI Continental Team. If you are looking for more information on USA Cycling Domestic Elite Teams or UCI Women's World Tour, please use the links.

One of the benefits of being on a UCI Continental team is that you have a dedicated USA Cycling staff contact. If you need assistance with any aspect of your team process, please email Bonnie Walker or call 719-725-0399.

The information contained below is not comprehensive, but rather a means to assist you with the registration of your Continental Team. Review the current UCI registration guide for more specific information. To comply with the UCI established deadlines, please pay attention to the key dates listed below and set by USA Cycling for submission of your team registration information. NO EXCEPTIONS will be made if these dates are not adhered to.

Key Dates

Associated Fees for Team Registration

Registration and Audit Process

The following are the proper steps for registering a UCI Women's Continental team:

First-Year Teams

Any person, company, foundation, association, or other entity that becomes the team representative or principal partner of a UCI Continental Team for the first time shall submit the following information by email to Bonnie Walker at USA Cycling no later than October 31.

• For individuals: proof of residence.
• For incorporated bodies and other organizations:
  • Constitution or articles of association.
  • Proof of an entry on the business register or the register of companies or associations, or any other official document demonstrating the legal existence of the organization.
  • List of officers or directors with their full names, occupations, and addresses.
  • Annual accounts (balance sheet and profit and loss account for the last financial year in the current legal form).

Team Composition and General Principles

The USA Cycling can register a maximum of 15 US Continental Teams with the UCI.

A UCI Continental Team is made up of a minimum of 8 riders and a maximum of 16 riders, in the elite and/or U23 categories. To register your team with USA Cycling, the majority number of your riders must have a nationality of USA. Please choose your riders accordingly.

In addition to the 16-rider maximum, a team may have a maximum of four extra riders who are specialists in other endurance disciplines, such as track (scratch, points race, pursuit), mountain bike (cross-country), or cyclo-cross, provided that these riders were in the top 150 of the last final UCI Individual classification for that discipline.

Please note, trainee and specialist riders are not considered for the calculation of the minimum number of riders in a team or for the determination of its nationality.

Between the period of August 1 and December 31, the team may add two riders in the U23 category or second year junior category as "trainees".

Team Participation

Per the UCI regulations, a rider registered on UCI Continental Team can participate in two kinds of races: UCI races anywhere in the world or national races in the United States. Riders on UCI Continental Teams do not need Foreign Permission Letters to ride abroad.

Riders may only enter a UCI race as 1) a regular member of their Continental Team or 2) a member of a USA Cycling National Team when the national team is participating. Riding for the USA Cycling national team is only allowed if your Continental Team is not competing in the race. Foreign riders on your team would be subject to the same rule. For example, if you have a Canadian rider on your team, they may ride an international race as part of the Canadian National Team, but only if your Continental Team is not participating.

Participation in UCI events are by invitation only and the UCI has specific regulations regarding invitations. Being a UCI Continental Team does not guarantee an automatic invitation. A UCI race organizer must meet UCI regulations when extending invitations to their events, and since these regulations include a minimum number of non-American teams, there may not be enough space in certain races for each American team. Teams must contact the race organizer to secure an invitation.

Rider Contracts

Each rider on a Continental Team must have a contract for a fixed period that expires on December 31. The contracts must meet the minimum standards given in the model contracts for Remunerated (professional) riders and Non-Professional riders. This contract must explicitly spell out wages and/or repayment of expenses (See note below). If a rider is entitled to salary per the contract, the only payment method allowed is direct deposit into the rider's bank account, the specifics of which must also be included in the contract.

No provision in the contract is valid if it goes against the basic nature of the year-long contract unless it is in the rider's favor. In other words, you cannot include a provision in the contract that says, "the team may terminate this contract at its discretion for any reason" or "the team may terminate this contract at its discretion if the rider fails to perform up to team standards". Such types of wording would void the contract.

Your team may be based in a state known for "at will employment", but a UCI Continental Team is not an "at will" employer. If you hire a rider, presume it is for the whole year. During the registration process, our auditor will carefully check rider contracts to make sure they meet the minimum standards and do not contain any "out clauses" that effectively invalidate the nature of a contract. All contracts must contain a statement acknowledging any statement that differs from the model contract is null and void unless it is in the favor of the rider.

NOTE: Wages are not required for UCI Women's Continental Teams.

Staff Contracts

Each staff member on a UCI Women's Continental Team must have a contract or agreement in writing must be signed with each staff member of the team.

Insurance

During the registration process, teams are required to prove each rider on their team has adequate medical insurance that covers sickness, accidents, and repatriation. Teams may purchase health insurance for their riders or require them to purchase it. Either way, health insurance for each rider must be documented and submitted with their contract to the auditors during registration. A front and back photo of their insurance will be accepted as adequate documentation.

USA Cycling provides supplemental accident medical coverage to its licensed members participating in USA Cycling Sanctioned events. International licensed members are also covered while participating in a cycling competition sanctioned by the UCI or a Foreign Federation affiliated with the UCI while outside of the United States and its territories. Details can be found here.

The summary of our policy indicates the following, taking into account if the rider has insurance or not, along with the exclusions:

• $25000 accident medical insurance. Maximum benefit of $500 for Dental, Orthopedic, Physical Therapy, and Transportation.
• $1000 AD&D
• $5000 Heart/circulatory malfunction

The UCI regulation 2.17.031 also specifies civil liability as indicated below.

Insurance against the following risks is compulsory for all events occurring during the rider's activities for the team (racing, training, travel, promotion, etc.). The insurances must be valid in all countries in which the rider is susceptible of performing activities for the team, whether individually or jointly with other team members:

1. Civil responsibility (of the rider; for an adequate amount)
   1. Covered with the purchase of a USA Cycling license.
2. Accidents (costs of treatment until recovery with no amount limit)
   1. Details on what USA Cycling covers can be found on the link above.
3. Sickness (costs of treatment and hospitalization with no amount limit)
   1. Details on what USA Cycling covers can be found on the link above.
4. Repatriation (unlimited cover)
   1. The USA Cycling insurance policies do not cover this. But there seems to be options available for this, similar to trip insurance. This is up to the team to provide.
5. Death (minimum value EUR 100,000 due to the beneficiaries designated by the rider)
   1. The USAC Spot policy covers $1,000 for AD&D, but is at the discretion of the rider to purchase.

Teams shall take out and cover the costs for the insurances listed above insofar as the rider does not have such insurances through his license or his compulsory national social security system.

Bank Guarantee

The UCI requires each team to set up an unconditional bank guarantee in favor of USA Cycling. The minimum amount is 20,000 Euros or 15% of the combined salaries of the riders and staff, which every is higher. During the registration process, Waugh & Goodwin, LLP will identify the amount of the bank guarantee for each team. USA Cycling works with a bank in Colorado Springs to manage the bank guarantee and processes. New teams will be required to submit to a certified check directly to USA Cycling and payable to the team or paying agent for the team. USA Cycling will then set up an account dedicated to the team and deposit the check into the account.

Each team is required to complete and sign a bank guarantee agreement with USA Cycling that explains the nature of the bank guarantee and claims process.  In addition, UCI Women’s Continental Teams must provide USA Cycling with a copy of the bank guarantee (UCI annex C-3) and the team operating budget (UCI annex C-1). All items are due by email no later than October 31.

Existing teams may continue to use the bank guarantee already established with USA Cycling, after paying all fines due the UCI and USA Cycling from previous seasons. If the bank guarantee amount due is greater than the amount currently available in the account, the team will be required to supplement the amount. If the existing bank guarantee on file is more than the team is required to have for the year, and there are no challenges, then the difference will be refunded to team no earlier than March 31^st of the year the team is registered.

The bank guarantee payment is due to USA Cycling no later than November 25.

Clothing

Clothing used by UCI teams is closely regulated by the UCI. As such, teams are required to submit their clothing designs on the DataRide platform for approval BEFORE production. These designs must be uploaded onto the DataRide platform and consist of a high quality PDF document which includes the artwork for both front and back of the jersey and short designs. Please refer to the "clothing" section of the UCI registration guide for more details around colors, placement of sponsors, etc. while designing team kits.

To promote the UCI America's Tour, the UCI is mandating that the appropriate UCI logo be incorporated into the design of the jersey. Relevant information can be found here. Logo files can be downloaded from the last page of the document.

In order to accommodate tighter deadlines for production of team clothing, two windows for submission and approval of jerseys will be in place.

• 11/01 - 11/10 -- First opportunity for review and approval of jerseys by USA Cycling and the UCI
• 12/01 - 12/10 -- Final opportunity for review and approval of jersey by USA Cycling and the UCI

Teams must not start production of its clothing until the design has been validated by both USA Cycling and the UCI on the DataRide platform. If a non-validated jersey has been produced, the team shall be subject to sanctions as stated in article 1.3.072. Furthermore, this does not exempt the team from correcting the jersey and producing it again.

NOTE: Pantone colors or similar pantone colors of the UCI Women's WorldTour leaders jerseys can't be used as the main color of a UCI Women's Continental Team jersey. In order to avoid the jersey being rejected or delayed in the approval process, the UCI recommends to avoid pink or violet as the main jersey color. If used, the designs must be deemed different enough from UCI Women's WorldTour leaders jersey. 

Equipment

Teams must share the equipment which will be used in road races and time trials. Equipment used by UCI teams is closely regulated, with lists of approved frames, forks, and wheels available on the UCI Equipment web page.

The UCI did not provided a form to use for the team equipment list this year, so a link has been provided last year's form for your convenience (UCI annex L). Please complete and return to the UCI through their online form no later than November 30.

UCI Height Exemption Lists

Riders in the height range of 180.0 cm – 189.9 cm and 190 cm or taller are eligible to request an exemption to be added to Category 2 & Category 3 respectively as per article 1.3.023.

A rider must provide a one-time medical Attestation signed by the Head Medical Director of the team where the height is clearly stated. The Attestation template may be downloaded here.

To add the rider to the UCI height exemption list, please submit the completed Attestation template using this online form no later than 15-days prior to participation of the intended UCI-sanctioned event. Please note, the UCI Commissaire reserves a right to verify the height of the rider.

Medical Monitoring

The Medical Monitoring program is NOT required for UCI Continental Teams, but recommended as a minimum that can be considered to confirm medical fitness for competition. As a UCI team you should be aware of the program and of the medical rules under which the UCI operates. The regulations regarding Medical Rules may be found in the Part XIII: Medical Rules section of the UCI regulations.

Roster Changes

The UCI has limitations on how and when team rosters can be changed. Under normal circumstances, roster changes may be made given the following criteria:

• During the season. Teams may add a rider if that rider meets all criteria and has not had a contract with a UCI team in the same season (except cyclo-cross riders, who can be transferred during the period of March 15 - April 15).

• Transfers. Between June 1 and July 15, riders who have been on a UCI team in the current year may transfer to a different UCI team. As part of this transfer process, the rider, their original team, and new team, must submit to USA Cycling a mutually agreed upon termination agreement.

• Trainees. Between August 1 and December 31, teams may add two U23 riders or second year Juniors to the roster as "trainees".
  

• The rider may not previously have ridden for a UCI road team.
• Such riders shall obtain the authorization of their Federation and may be associated with only one UCI team during this period. Authorization is not required for riders holding a USA Cycling license.
• Upon authorization from the UCI, a trainee rider may continue to participate in events of their club team.

Note: Any additions to the rider list will require a new audit and review by our auditors, Waugh & Goodwin. Please submit contract, proof of insurance, and the teams updated budget to USA Cycling and Waugh & Goodwin at the addresses listed above. Teams will be invoiced at $150 per rider add.

New riders must be added to the team's Rider List on the DataRide platform. The "trainees" must be added to the rider list through the DataRide platform. Please check the "trainee" checkbox, indicate the date from which the rider will join the team, and upload any required authorizations before submitting the updates.