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What is a Continental team in cycling?
A UCI Continental team is the third tier of road cycling teams, below WorldTeams and ProTeams. Continental teams are registered with the UCI but are not required to pay their riders a UCI minimum salary.
Continental teams are the broad base of professional cycling. Some are close to fully professional, with real salaries, full race programmes and good equipment. Others run on small budgets, where riders receive expenses, equipment or a modest allowance rather than a living wage.
They race mostly on the continental circuits (Europe Tour, Asia Tour, America Tour and so on), in .2 and .1 races, and sometimes receive invitations to bigger events. Many young riders start their senior careers here, and many experienced riders end them here.
On the women's side the gap is stark. In The Cyclists' Alliance 2026 rider survey, 75% of Continental respondents said they received no team salary at all, because UCI minimum salaries apply only to Women's WorldTeams and Women's ProTeams.
A good season at Continental level can lead to a stagiaire spot or a contract with a ProTeam or WorldTeam. Our pathway section explains how riders move from Continental level to the WorldTour, and what usually decides whether that step happens.
See it on howtoturnpro.com
From Continental to the WorldTour