The vaccination rates within pro cycling teams are as low as 40 per cent, but in other teams 100 per cent of personnel are vaccinated, according to the UCI.
It surveyed teams across the sport - men's and women's World Tour teams and also Pro Continental teams - and has found staff in teams are more likely to be vaccinated than riders. The vaccination rates within women's teams are also, on average, higher than in men's teams.
A survey carried out by the UCI between October and November with 100 per cent of World Tour teams responding and 79 per cent of Pro Continental teams replying.
"The vaccination coverage varies from 40 per cent to 100 per cemt, according to the teams," the UCI said. However, in three quarters of the teams, more than 80 per cent of personnel - riders and staff - were vaccinated.
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"For the vast majority of teams, the vaccination coverage of staff exceeds that of riders, 85 per cent Vs 79 per cent respectively," the UCI added.
The vaccination rate and women's World Tour teams was 97 per cent, compared to 79 per cent at men's World Tour teams and 86 per cent at ProContinental teams. The UCI said it estimated 82.7 per cent of the pro peloton was vaccinated, which it expressed satisfaction with.
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The early weeks of this year have seen sports media dominated by Novak Djokovic's vaccine saga in Australian. The Serbian, currently ranked best tennis player in the world, was eventually refused entry to Australia on the basis he was not vaccinated.
The protracted saga saw him miss the opportunity to play the Australian Open, in Melbourne. And now with new rules having been introduced by the French, which tighten vaccine rules for athletes coming into the country, it looks like Djokovic may miss out on the French Open.
The coming season in cycling will also involved new Covid-19 rules for professional teams and riders who travel globally for racing.
The UCI has stated that for one day races and stage races with fewer than seven stages, riders and all other team and race personnel will have to be fully vaccinated or have a negative PCR test dated less than two days previously. PCR salivary tests are permitted but antigen tests are not.
That means if all of a team's riders and staff are vaccinated the work, inconvenience and costs involved with organising PCR tests before every race effectively end.
For stage races of seven days or longer, riders and all other personnel with have to have a negative PCR test dated less than two days previously regardless of whether the person is vaccinated or not. Furthermore, intermediate PCR tests will be conducted during the Grands Tours, as they were last year.
The rules apply to anyone traveling inside cycling's bubble, including all team staff, anti doping officials, race organisers and medical staff and the media.
