Paris (AFP)
The International Cycling Union, faced with "an unprecedented crisis" according to its president David Lappartient, announced Thursday a savings plan, in particular the recourse to technical unemployment, because of the decrease in its income linked to the pandemic.
Its steering committee, meeting last week, approved this "unprecedented expenditure reduction plan" taking into account "that the savings made so far are marginal (costs linked in particular to the interruption of travel by international commissioners)".
In detail, the measures consist mainly "in the use of technical unemployment, at various percentages, for all 130 employees of the UCI and the World Cycling Center", the reduction of salaries or allowances of managers of the 'UCI, the resizing of solidarity projects for national federations and the ongoing review of contracts with service providers, suppliers and consultants.
"Our international federation is going through an unprecedented crisis since the Second World War," said David Lappartient. "The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the multiplication of postponements and cancellations of events on the international calendar and the uncertainty weighing on the second part of the season have a major impact on our sport".
If several world championships (MTB, BMX) have been postponed, the Road Worlds scheduled in Aigle-Martigny (Switzerland) "seem immune to the consequences of Covid-19 given their dates (20-27 September 2020) ", estimated the international federation.
The UCI stated that it had received more than 650 requests for postponement or cancellation of tests, or 30% of the international calendar, over a period which extends until August. Road and mountain biking are the most affected disciplines.
The UCI has planned, "as a sign of solidarity", to transfer to the organizers of canceled events, in the period during which the holding of events is not possible, all the registration fees for the calendar.
© 2020 AFP