The UCI women’s pro team division is set to come into the sport in 2025 and is due to be positioned between the UCI Women’s WorldTeams, which would become the first division, and the UCI Women’s Continental teams, which would become the third division.

The pro team division was due to come in during 2026, but has been brought forward by one year in response to what the UCI describe as "a boom in women’s cycling."

Women’s ProTeams are set to follow the same registration procedure as other professional teams.

The UCI say they hope the introduction of the new division will "enable a greater number of female riders to benefit from a professional framework."

Following a three-day Management Committee meeting, held on the eve of the first ever combined World Championships, set to begin in Scotland tomorrow, the UCI also adopted the principle of the integration of stakeholders in women’s professional road cycling into the Professional Cycling Council (PCC).

The move means that from next year the associations representing the highest level of stakeholders in men’s and women’s international road cycling will be represented on an enlarged PCC.

Other business during the meeting included the approval of two documents - the UCI Safeguarding Policy and Safeguarding: UCI Toolkit for Cycling Stakeholders, which are added to the UCI’s Cycling Integrity programme.

The UCI Safeguarding Policy details the framework put in place by the organisation to prevent, deal with and report actions likely to harm the physical or psychological integrity of people involved with the sport.

Meanwhile the Safeguarding: UCI Toolkit for Cycling Stakeholders provides a practical handbook to National Federations, teams and organisers on how to ensure cycling is safe for everyone.

The Management Committee also awarded the Bike City label to four locations - Montreal in Canada, Aigle in Switzerland, the Saalfelden Leogang region in Austria and the South Scotland region.

The Bike City label supports and rewards regions which host major UCI events, while also developing and promoting cycling in their communities.

Aigle is the home of the UCI headquarters and World Cycling Centre, while the South Scotland region is set to host the first ever combined UCI World Championships, covering 13 disciplines.

Reflecting on the meeting UCI President David Lappartient said: "With the creation of a second division of women’s professional teams and the extension of the Professional Cycling Council’s remit to the highest level of women's cycling, the sector is continuing the impressive progress it has made in recent years.

"These advances will boost the sector and provide further evidence of its growth.

"In another area, that of integrity, we can look forward to the continued implementation of comprehensive measures in cycling, with a strong preventive component, to ensure that our sport represents a safe environment for everyone in which no form of abuse is tolerated.

"Finally, I would like to welcome the towns and regions that have joined our UCI Bike City/Region network, a label that distinguishes local authorities with a long-term commitment to cycling as a competitive sport and sustainable activity.

"On the eve of the opening of the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland, this network, which now includes 26 cities and regions, symbolises the growing involvement of public authorities in promoting cycling for all."

The next meeting of the UCI’s Management Committee is due to take place in Prague, Czech Republic on January 25 and 26 2024.