Little has been heard just lately of the One Cycling venture aimed to shake-up skilled biking – however Cyclingnews has been informed that vital personal fairness to fund it’s now in place.
The venture could possibly be signed off earlier than the top of the 2024 Tour de France, with a full launch then scheduled for the 2026 season when the UCI may also award new licences to groups and main race organisers.
One Cycling will not be a breakaway league but it surely goals to revolutionise skilled biking within the years to return. The personal fairness funding would give the One Cycling stakeholders the monetary firepower to problem the present established order and take a stand in opposition to the dominance of Tour de France organisers ASO and the strict governance of the UCI.
Some of the largest groups are able to sign-up as founding stakeholders of One Cycling, with Belgian race organiser Flanders Classics additionally listed within the paperwork seen by Cyclingnews. Other advertising specialists similar to The Sports Consultancy, Turnstile and Colganbauer are stated to be offering recommendation and experience.
The enormous Sports Boulevard Foundation venture in Saudi Arabia can be listed within the One Cycling 150-page presentation doc, that particulars many features of the venture similar to media rights, sponsorship, enterprise plans and growth. However, it’s unclear if Saudi Arabian personal fairness will lastly bankroll One Cycling.
Visma-Lease a Bike, EF Education-EasyPost, Soudal-Quickstep, Ineos Grenadiers, Lidl-Trek and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have lengthy been a part of the venture, with Bahrain Victorious and different groups are stated to have joined them. Tudor ProfessionalCycling, Israel-Premier Tech and Lotto-Dstny have additionally been linked however different squads, together with the main French WorldTour groups, have opted out. Details on what function ladies’s groups may play within the One Cycling venture are additionally at present very restricted.
A supply near the One Cycling venture, who didn’t wish to be named, defined some particulars of the venture to Cyclingnews. They stated personal fairness has confirmed funding for the venture however refused to say who’s offering the funding or how a lot. In the spring Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) was reported to be the frontrunner to again the venture and was prepared to speculate €250 million ($270 million).
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A brand new personal firm owned by the One Cycling stakeholders would attempt to generate new income and monetize fan engagement and sponsor pursuits by working with groups and race organisers to form a brand new calendar with the aim of a better profile, season-long narrative.
Digital expertise and advertising methods used within the sports activities would even be harnessed as a part of the One Cycling venture, with new methods for occasion rights, digital platforms, betting, gamification, merchandising and fan membership.
With the main groups and Flanders Classics each concerned, there are claims One Cycling may quickly turn into a singular and highly effective stakeholder within the sport, maybe second solely to ASO, who personal the Tour de France and a variety of different races.
The One Cycling homeowners hope their united power will give them extra bargaining energy with the UCI, different race organisers, sponsors and broadcasters.
Transforming the calendar
“It’s not about changing into wealthy, it is about creating a greater stability within the sport. We wish to be fan-centric, in order that extra folks can perceive and luxuriate in our sport,” somebody near the One Cycling venture informed Cyclingnews.
One Cycling hopes to assist rework the present race calendar with out impacting the three Grand Tours and largest Classics and not plan to create new races. However ASO have already stated they’re in opposition to working with One Cycling. Giro d’Italia organiser RCS Sport has informed Cyclingnews that they’re following the event of the venture however aren’t concerned.
It is unclear how the AIGC groups affiliation and the CPA rider affiliation would react to the creation of One Cycling and its attainable affect on the game.
The One Cycling groups may conform to ship their greatest riders to sure races, in order that – if their squads kind a part of it – the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) compete in opposition to one another far more usually.
However, it has been argued that smaller early season races and even present WorldTour races would lose out if the largest riders and groups attempt to create an alternate season to the present WorldTour calendar.
The greatest One Cycling groups and riders may conflict in 75% of the new-look One Cycling-influenced calendar, way over within the present WorldTour sequence of races.
“We wish to have a great relationship with the UCI they usually perceive the One Cycling venture. ASO additionally understands that now we have to develop the game, whereas defending their pursuits,” the supply stated.
“ASO has a monopoly on the game and desires to defend their pursuits however One Cycling doesn’t wish to take away something from them, we wish to work with them. As is all the time stated, we wish to make the biking pie larger for everybody and create extra monetary stability.”
Securing personal fairness to fund the One Cycling venture is a brand new and very important step within the venture. After months of assembly and evaluation, the venture seems to be nearer to changing into a actuality.
“The venture will not be 100% certain however we’re shut,” the One Cycling supply stated.
“We’re assured that nothing can cease us. We simply want slightly extra time earlier than we are able to say it’s going to occur. At the second we really feel like we’re in a breakaway that’s near victory. We suppose it’s an necessary second for skilled biking.”