UCI rejects OneCycling project as 2026 WorldTour calendars are finalised

The UCI Management Committee has approved the 2026 calendars for both the Women's WorldTour and Men's WorldTour during its meeting in Arzon, France, on June 12, while unanimously rejecting the controversial OneCycling project.

Dwars door Vlaanderen will join the UCI Women's WorldTour calendar for the first time on April 1, 2026, having previously been part of the UCI ProSeries. The women's race will now align with the men's event, which takes place on the same day.

The 2026 UCI WorldTour will feature 36 races across 13 countries and four continents, comprising 171 racing days. Both the men's and women's calendars will begin with the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia and conclude with the Tour of Guangxi in China on October 18.

In a significant boost for women's cycling, the Management Committee approved a 20% increase in participation allowance for Women's WorldTour events, alongside additional complimentary accommodations for stage races.

"We are committed to robust evolutionary paths in our calendars and cycling's sustainable development," said UCI President David Lappartient, who expressed satisfaction with the committee's discussions.

The Management Committee made a strong statement by unanimously rejecting the OneCycling project in its current form. The initiative, backed by certain teams, organisers and a sports investment fund, was deemed "inconsistent with UCI's governance framework" and lacking "competitive coherence."

However, the UCI indicated it remains open to discussions with project representatives to explore potential collaboration that could enhance the economic development of both WorldTour calendars.

Grand Tour organisers will now be required to invite the top three UCI ProTeams alongside the 18 UCI WorldTeams and two wildcard teams from 2026 onwards, ensuring broader access to high-level competitions for top-performing teams.

The committee also approved technical revisions to the UCI points system to harmonize it with the men's scale and introduced a new system allocating points to road teams based on riders' performances in other cycling disciplines starting in 2027.

Safety remains a priority, with the UCI adhering to recommendations from SafeR, promising further statements on safety enhancements before races.

Other key decisions included:

• Riders under 23 belonging to UCI professional teams will not participate in UCI Nations Cup events
• An Individual Ranking for Juniors will be instituted from 2026
• A new UCI World Cycling Centre Regional Development Satellite will be established in Johor Bahru, Malaysia
• Brisbane, Australia and Zeeland, Netherlands, have been awarded the UCI Bike City label

The next UCI Management Committee meeting is scheduled for September 22-24, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda, coinciding with the UCI Road World Championships.