Trek-Segafredo is finally offering its top women pro cyclists equal pay to the men. Effective January 1, 2021, their men’s and women’s WorldTour teams now have the same salary minimums.

“Salary really depends on the individual, but we can confirm that all of our professional road cycling athletes—regardless of gender—make at or above the minimum for the men’s program,” Eric Bjorling, director of brand marketing at Trek Bikes, told Bicycling. “As with all neo-pro [first year] riders, there is a slightly lower minimum, which is the case for several of the riders on both programs.”

Salary minimums for women pro cyclists, established by the UCI, first went into effect in 2020. According to the mandate, this year women on WorldTour teams must earn at least €20,000 (R360 000) and receive an annual pay raise until topping out at around €30,000 (R540 000) in 2023. (The same mandate also established mandatory maternity leave and health insurance.)

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By comparison, this year, WorldTour men cyclists will have a UCI-mandated minimum salary of €40,045 (R720 000).

“There’s been some talk that pro cycling might require raising the women’s world tour minimum to the same as the men’s and this is something we strongly support. That said, we didn’t want to wait for a mandate, so we made the decision to do this on our own in the fall of 2020,” Bjorling said.

Trek-Segafredo’s 2021 season roster includes top-tier cyclists like Lizzie Deignan, Ruth Winder, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Taylor Wiles.

“Anybody who has watched women’s cycling knows what an incredible sport it is and we’re proud to have the opportunity to be involved and support these amazing athletes,” Bjorling said.

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