The UCI wishes the very best to women racing bikes all over the world. Your stamina, power, speed, determination and seeming fearlessness has provided us with probably the most exciting year of racing yet, across all of cycling’s disciplines. We know you have more great performances in store for us over the next 12 months, and we thank you in advance.
The last words on International Women’s Day go to three of our reigning UCI World Champions...
"International Women's Day is about reflecting on the amazing achievements of women across the board from entrepreneurs, to champions, to the super mums!
"It's about continuing to support and encourage equal pay & equality with men but also the opportunity to think about supporting and guiding younger female athletes and the future female leaders to navigate the path I've been through.
"Once you make it to the top of any field, I think it's important to not pull the ladder up behind you, but reach out and bring other women of any age up with you."
"International Women´s Day is important to me, because it shows that we girls are more. It’s about Ladies getting out of the shadow of men´s cycling and we can show the world what women’s hard and fast cycling can look like!
"From year to year we dare to show this more and more."
"Women's cyclo-cross is booming. The first step in the right direction was the UCI deciding that women's races should be organised in the afternoon, prior to the men elite competition. Live broadcast of nearly all women's races was another giant leap forward. But there's still room for improvement. Equal prize money should be the next step. But all that said, women cyclo-crossers cannot complain. More and more girls turn professional, cyclo-cross fans know who we are and what we are capable of.
"Believe me, it's fun to be a female cyclo-crosser these days."