The athletes and staff of Katusha-Alpecin have finally been paid their outstanding wages for the month of October. However, it is still unclear if the funds came from a UCI bank guarantee or if a sponsor stepped in to solve the team's financial problems. Last week Cycling News reported that one prominent sponsor had failed to meet its financial obligations.

According to confirmation from both the team's attorney, Alexis Shove, and sources around the team, payments to all registered riders and staff were made this week. The riders and staff had been warned not to speak to the media after news broke that their October wages would be delayed. Meanwhile, the UCI confirmed last week that it was considering lifting the team's bank guarantee in order to address the team's financial shortfall.

However, it is unclear from Shove, the UCI, and major sponsor Alpecin whether the payments were resolved by the bank guarantee or whether the team received sponsorship funds for the shortfall.

"These are financial and contractual issues. A spokesperson for Alpecin told Cycling News, when asked why the players were not paid on time, "We don't talk strictly about the details of the contract in the end."

"Ultimately it's a team issue and this is why we're a little bit on the outside as a sponsor, we haven't talked about these things since we entered the cycling world in 2015."

When asked if the delay was due to withheld payments from Alpecin, a spokesperson responded:

"From Alpecin's perspective, we have no information on this. At this point, this is all we can say. At this time."

Cycling News reached out to both Shove and the UCI for further comment, but neither has yet responded.

Last week, Shove told Cycling News that the delay was "due to cash availability at the end of the season. I don't think there are any problems at this stage. The riders and staff have been informed of the delay and told it's a matter of a day or two. [It depends on the payments from the sponsors. Some of the sponsors have an arrangement to pay at the end of the month, which means that they will have to make their cash flow arrangements. Of course, everyone gets paid. This is not something I like or can personally accept, but everyone is aware of the situation."

The Katusha Alpecin team is set to disband at the end of the year as the Israel Cycling Academy takes over its World Tour license.