The CPA, the professional riders' union, has indicated that it is willing to accept pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic, but only if teams can demonstrate that their budgets have been affected by the suspension of competition.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic suspended all racing in March, several teams have cut riders' salaries and laid off staff. Bahrain McLaren, CCC Team, Mitchelton Scott, Astana, and Lotto Soudal are among the WorldTour teams that have announced such measures so far.

After consulting with the UCI and the teams' representative organizations, the AIGCP, last week, CPA president Gianni Buño said he was prepared to accept a pay cut on a case-by-case basis.

"We recognize the difficulties that sponsors and teams may face in this emergency situation. We are ready to listen and compromise in the interest of the sport as a whole, but at the same time we are vigilant to avoid any speculation and to limit the difficulties faced by the riders and their families," Bogno said in a statement Friday.

"We accept the flexibility requested by the AIGCP, but the rules must be respected. We cannot allow a significant cut in payroll without assurances that the contract cannot be honored. We want everyone to work to find the best solution so that no one is left out: the players, the team staff, and the cycling family."[9

UCI rules require teams to provide a bank guarantee covering three months of salary, to be used as protection in the event that a sponsor abandons the sport. Such bank guarantees were used to pay Katusha athletes at the end of 2019 and Aqua Blue Sports athletes in 2018 when their sponsors withdrew, but are not usually released to cover late salary payments from active sponsors.

CPA Secretary General Laura Mora said that the athletes' organization has been in talks with agents for the past few weeks, but that the CPA would not agree to an across-the-board reduction in salaries during the coronavirus pandemic.

"This is the first time we have worked with the rider agents and we have created a working group to work in unison. No one gains or loses anything in this phase of the agreement that will harm others. [Each case will be evaluated individually to determine how to contain the problem with specific assistance and strategies. We are all in the same boat and in the same storm. So to save everyone, we must respect common principles and really work as a team."

Currently, all races are suspended until at least June 1, and later races, including the Tour de Suisse, have already been canceled. After consultation with teams and race organizers, the UCI announced plans to extend the season through November to reschedule the postponed spring classics and the Giro d'Italia, but it remains unclear when and if pro cycling will be able to resume in 2020.

On Thursday, the UCI announced that it had furloughed 130 staff members and imposed pay cuts on management and elected members.