The International Cycling Union and federations from across Europe came to a preliminary agreement over a long-running dispute threatening the calendar.

The UCI, which runs the Pro Tour, has been at loggerheads with the organisers of big races such as the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia.

The season had been poised to take place on two separate circuits but now the parties had agreed to create a special calendar for the big events which could co-exist with the Pro

Tour, a UCI statement said following talks in Treviso. The presidents of the Belgian, French, Italian, Spanish and Luxembourg federations will now try to convince the organisers of the big races to accept the compromise.

UCI President Pat McQuaid has been struggling to assert his authority on the sport in the wake of numerous doping scandals but wants the agreement to be the start of a united future.

"For his part the President of the UCI...hoped this move would lead to recognition of the UCI's authority as head of this family and in particular respect for the UCI's current rules of participation and system of rankings as well as an end to all disagreements, the statement read.

Reuters