The players of the Bigla Katusha Women's World Tour Team have written an open letter to their sponsors asking for their support to keep the team alive.

On Friday, the team announced that its future is in jeopardy after both title sponsors withdrew their financial support due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Bigla has been a partner of the team since its inception in 2005, and Katusha has been a co-sponsor since this season.

"We are saddened to learn that both of our main title partners, Bigla and Katusha, have recently been unable to provide their usual financial support to the team in the current crisis situation," signed by 12 riders on the Bigla-Katusha roster. The letter (opens in new tab) was published.

"It is clear that we are in unprecedented times. More than ever, now is the time for each of us to demonstrate our commitment to one another, both corporate and individual. It is in the midst of hardship that we will see our true strength. We are committed to this team, to our partners, and to each other. We hope that after this pandemic has passed, our title partners will be able to look back with pride and say that we did everything we could to honor our commitments."

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic brought the worldwide sports calendar to a halt. Fourteen of the 22 events on the Women's World Tour calendar were canceled or postponed due to the pandemic.

Ronnie Lauke, president of the women's team association UNIO, of which Bigla Katusha is a founding member, is concerned that the impact of the crisis on sponsors and business will make some teams unviable.

Bigla Katusha started its 2020 campaign with a stage win at Setmana Ciclistica Valenciana by Emma Cecilie Norsgaard and Leah Thomas, with Norsgaard also finishing third in Omloop van het Haegeland.

"I haven't won that big race yet, but every time I get to the start line I get a little closer. I'm going to attack. We make the race exciting. We don't relent. And we're learning, building our capabilities and confidence."

The letter also mentions the work of Swiss rider Elise Chaby, a recent medical school graduate who volunteered at the University Hospital of Geneva during the pandemic following the cycling season interruption.

"We keep our promises and do our best to live up to expectations. When the pandemic hit, the riders who worked in health care put their lives on hold to return to the hospital." Riders deliver food to the poor and elderly in our communities. We are not just bike racers. We are kind and compassionate individuals."

Katusha Sports, which provided just under a third of the team's budget, released a statement on Friday explaining that due to the closure of its factory and e-commerce center for the past two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting financial gap, it is unable to fulfill its sponsorship commitments for the time being He explained that he would not be able to fulfill his sponsorship commitments for the time being due to the resulting financial gap.

It is unclear if and when competition will resume in 2020; the UCI released a rough outline of a compressed calendar for the men's race in the fall, but has not yet revealed details of the women's calendar. The Giro Rosa was scheduled to take place June 26-July 5, but has been moved to September 5-13, which falls during the second week of the Tour de France.

The Bigla Katusha riders hoped to still have a team when the competition resumes and vowed to find a way to continue.

"We don't give up. That's what makes us unique. And just like our scrappy racing style, we will keep fighting to find a way forward. If there is anything we can do to help keep this dream alive, we will be eternally grateful."