UCI President David Lapartient expressed concern about the economic impact of the new coronavirus on some professional cycling teams. In a report published Monday in De Telegraaf (opens in new tab), Lapartiento said he hopes all teams will survive to the end of the season.

"We know that three, four, or five teams have more problems than others. We hope they all make it to the end of the season."

La Partiente did not specify which teams he was referring to. However, six WorldTour teams, including EF Pro Cycling, the CCC team, Astana, Lotto Soudal, Bahrain McLaren, and the Mitchelton Scott men's and women's teams, have begun negotiating pay cuts for riders and staff in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The UCI announced in April that the CPA and the AIGCP Men's Team Association had signed an agreement to protect the principles and processes of UCI professional men's teams. The document highlights strategies for teams and riders to negotiate fairly and take steps to reduce or defer rider and staff salaries and potentially reduce payroll costs.

The same agreement was extended to women's teams, agreed to by CPA Women and UNIO, adding the use of a team bank guarantee.

The UCI was forced to suspend all racing until July 1, and the UCI World Tour and UCI Women's World Tour until August 1. In addition, the UCI confirmed that approximately 800 event organizers in all disciplines and categories have requested that their events be postponed or cancelled. This figure represents one-third of the UCI international calendar.

"Our union is facing a crisis not seen since World War II," La Partiente said. The organization confirmed that it implemented its own cost-cutting measures in April. These included placing all 130 staff on full or partial furlough and senior management and elected members taking unspecified pay cuts.

The UCI recently announced a revised calendar for the second half of the season, prioritizing the three Grand Tours and the Monument, along with a new Women's World Tour calendar of 18 events. Races are scheduled to begin on August 1 and end on November 8. However, some teams are in dire financial straits and there are concerns that they may not be able to commit financially to the second half of the season schedule.

La Partiento told Corriere della Sera (open in new tab), "We are monitoring the situation regularly and have created a protocol to reduce the cost of transfers. 'Unfortunately, we are not a bank. We are working hard on our calendar so that we can host races. It's the only way we can get oxygen to the teams."

The UCI Road World Championships are scheduled for September 20-27 in Aigle Martigny, Switzerland. However, the Spanish news media outlet Marca reported that the Middle East event may be changed to November.

"I don't know about that," La Partiento said. 'We want to hold the World Championships in Aigle Martigny on the most difficult and most beautiful course of the last 40 years.' It will be a historic event where the riders who have raced the Tour de France and those who are preparing for the Giro d'Italia will face each other for the first time. It will be a very special World Championships."