"Suspension" was not the word the NCL riders chose to use in response to Monday's sudden announcement that the National Cycling League-owned team will be shut down and their jobs will be eliminated for the rest of the year.

That was the word used by National Cycling League CEO Andrea Pagnanelli in a statement Monday morning announcing that the league and its elite-level teams will cease operations for the remainder of 2024. The league owned and operated two teams last year, the Miami Knights and Denver Disruptors, and had announced its roster for its second season along with the Atlanta Rise, its third team.

Riders' reactions ranged from "the NCL can go away" to "it's painful" to loud boos on social media, with many narrowly silent. Several team members told Cycling News that this sudden turn of events was in fact a steady buildup of communication and commitment from the league that had been glamorized in its inaugural season in 2023.

"My head is spinning," admitted Tyler Williams, a 10-year road veteran who joined the Miami Knights from Los Angeles' L39LION this offseason. 'It's the middle of April and this is tough on everybody. Teams have already signed contracts for last season. The problem is the job market, with over 50 people looking for work. Unfortunately, we are not the first to lose our jobs. We have to adapt and move on. It just sucks."

Several riders interviewed by Cycling News admitted that there was a serious lack of communication between NCL leadership and team members this year. In fact, no specific information was provided about the second competition, dubbed the NCL Cup. The tournament had been held last year with three competitions totaling $250,000 in prize money, and the entire team had been set up.

Riders on NCL-owned teams were required to sign nondisclosure agreements, and many agreed to annual salaries of $3,000 or less, $250 per month before taxes, or a performance-only compensation structure with only equipment and travel expenses. According to several riders, the majority of their salaries were structured to be paid during the race season, which began in April.

So when did the alarm bells ring: ...... Williams said it was two weeks ago when he was not scheduled for the Redlands Cycling Classic, a five-day men's and women's stage race in California, which is his third Redlands race after starting with BMC Development and competing two seasons with the Israel Cycling Academy. This is his third time racing in Redlands. Last year he won a silver medal at the U.S. professional road race championships.

"From what I understand, an 'investment' was made, but nothing happened. We were not going to spend a dime until that investment was complete. So we didn't even do a team camp. We joked that Redlands was like a campground. We tried to do the best we could. We knew the first team support race was going to be Tulsa Tough [in June]."

Since there were no scheduled entries from the league, Williams and Knights teammate Johnny Clark joined the Disruptors team as guest riders to compete in Redlands; all NCL riders paid for their own transportation and equipment to California. Williams finished on the podium with two podiums, as did Denver Disruptors rider Stephen Bassett.

On April 12, the League emailed the riders and support staff, informing them that the Zoom call was scheduled for Monday, April 14. According to Williams, the message arrived on the day of the time trial in Redlands and "definitely lowered the mood."

Several who participated in Monday's Zoom call said it was short and to the point, with one describing the group announcement as "the delivery was cold."

Shortly after the call, NCL posted a statement on its social accounts Monday morning, with the comments section erased. The outpouring of grief for the athletes and staff who lost their jobs was overwhelming, including other teams who had participated in the NCL Cup.

"For both the CCB women's team and the Foundation Cycling men's team, it is of course disappointing that there will be a gap in the 2024 race calendar, but for the three men's and women's teams and their team staff affected by this announcement, it is far more in the final outcome It's a shame, Lauren LeClair, sporting director of the CCB p/b Levine Law Group, told Cycling News.

Her women's team was on the list of 10 teams invited to return in 2024, along with Foundation Cycling, a coed team that finished fourth in the 2023 NCL Cup standings.

"For CCB, we were looking forward to another season of racing in this new format, but fortunately we are able to pivot to other events and continue to rely on the unwavering support of our other partners.

Some teams, such as CCB, were also affected by the abrupt suspension of the National Cycling League.

"With the sudden dissolution of the NCL, I said goodbye to the Miami Knights team that gave me a chance for a year. For myself, I still have a full racing schedule for 2024 and as always, I will be ready to go. I just don't know how I will look yet," Andrea Sill wrote in a positive comment on Instagram a few hours after learning that Miami Nights was gone.

"At the moment I don't have a team, but that doesn't worry me too much. I still have the cycling community and that is the most important thing no matter what stupid thing happens next in this sport"

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The league noted in a statement that affected riders and staff "will be supported through their transition," but several individuals told Cyclingnews they had heard no further information.

Tyler Williams said, "I will essentially be racing for free for the rest of the year. But I'm going to make that decision because I want to continue my career and I want to go back to being paid in the future." That's just me. There are a lot of people in worse circumstances.

"Cycling is a very passionate sport. Everyone who has made it this far has love and passion. That's why we get so emotional when this happens. And on some level, it's not the best business, but it's business and it was just good timing. It put a lot of people in a bad situation."