UCI have made an agreement with women's cycling teams to determine salary cost-cutting as a result of the coronavirus pandemic ©Getty Images

International Cycling Union (UCI) President David Lappartient has confirmed that a signed agreement to determine salary cost-cutting has been made for women's teams.

It follows a similar agreement made for those representing the men's teams handled by the Association of Professional Cyclists (CPA) to help with the survival of teams and athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agreement outlines fair negotiations between teams and riders to take any salary cost-cutting measures such as reducing or deferring rider and staff salaries, taking the team's financial peril into account while keeping rights for workers.

It also allows teams to use their UCI bank guarantees to pay rider salaries.

Lappartient said: "We are in a difficult situation, so the agreement has been signed between the CPA, AIGCP (the association of men's professional road cycling teams) and the UCI for the men, and we extended this one and duplicated it for the women with CPA, UNIO (the women's riders association) and with the UCI."

Annemiek van Vleuten took a voluntary pay cut to take the financial burden off her team ©Getty Images
Annemiek van Vleuten took a voluntary pay cut to take the financial burden off her team ©Getty Images

He also stated that while bank guarantees are there, teams should aim to negotiate salary cuts before taking that step.

Women's teams have already taken voluntary pay cuts with the first being Mitchelton-Scott.

World champion Annemiek van Vleuten said she had taken a "substantial" pay cut to help with the survival of her team due to the financial impact laid on the title sponsors during the crisis.

Minimum salaries for employed and self-employed workers will not be raised in 2021 due to the pandemic, but the economic impact will be evaluated at the end of the year.