The UCI have recently released a flurry of new rules to be implemented in 2026, including a long-awaited points parity between the men's and women's races.
So, what are UCI points, and why do they matter?
First introduced in 2009, individual riders compete to accumulate points, which are awarded to the top 60 riders in each race. Points collected by a rider contribute not only to the status of the individual, but to the overall standing of the team and nation they represent. The number of points accumulated by each team determines whether they can compete in the UCI WorldTour when licences renew - every three years.
However, not all races are made equal, with varying points awarded depending on the race. The Tour de France, for example, is worth 1300 points overall. By contrast, a Monument like Paris-Roubaix is worth 800.
To date, the points awarded to women have been considerably lower than the men’s. Whilst the best male rider at the Giro d’Italia could score 1,100 points, the fastest woman could only win 400. In the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, 400 was again awarded, in contrast to the 1300 in the men's.
As of 2026, not only will the points on offer be levelled, but female racers will also have three years to accumulate points, rather than their current two.
Additionally, the four women's Monuments - Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège - will, for the first time in women's cycling, be worth 800 points each. Points can also be picked up in special categories, like the mountain classification and on individual stage wins.
At the end of three years, the points are counted once again, and the top 18 men's and top 15 women's teams receive UCI WorldTour licences for the next three seasons. WorldTour teams outside the 18 or 15? They’re relegated.
As a passing football-fan, the word “relegation” is shrouded in a Wrexham FC informed disneyfication - will the underdog break through the barriers enforced by the system?! But relegation is a slower process in cycling, with teams competing over the course of three years to accumulate enough points to avoid it, or to accumulate enough points to get to the next level.
The battle to maintain a license for the UCI WorldTour can make for some dramatic racing. As the UCI looks forward to a 2026-2028 racing calendar, teams will be scrambling this summer to pick up the last points of the season. At present, with six months left of 2025, every point counts for the likes of XDS Astana, Cofidis, and Picnic PostNL in the men's side.
But, how much are UCI points really worth?
Whilst there is still room for surprise contenders to fight their way to the top of the points table, at the top of the men's classification sits a clear, current leader: UAE Team Emirates-XRG. With a huge win in the Critérium du Dauphiné, Tadej Pogačar’s recent successes declare that one great rider can separate your team from second place by nearly 5000 points (as of 24 June) - and suggest that, for riders of a certain calibre, racing is about winning, rather than point-gathering.
Yet, with the opportunity to accumulate points across stage wins and podium places, the leader board is far from fixed. For teams vying to maintain their World Tour licence, or those looking to break into it from the ProTour ranks, the points system offers the chance to confirm their spot in the racing calendar for the next three seasons. And new rules for men’s cycling might make the battle for points even more exciting. As of 2026, Grand Tour organisers must invite the top three UCI ProTeams and two “wild card” teams to their races, as well as the existing 18 UCI WorldTeams.
The levelling of women’s and men’s UCI points might seem minor, but it is yet more of a recognition of the popularity and high-calibre of women's cycling. The points do matter.
