The small print of the One Biking reform challenge, designed to shake up and modernise skilled biking, are nonetheless largely shrouded in thriller, hidden away from the followers by secret negotiations and non-disclosure agreements.
Richard Plugge of Visma-Lease a Bike gave the impression to be the preliminary driving drive earlier than the thought of One Biking. Now, different groups and a few main race organisers are additionally concerned.
EF Training-Easypost, Lidl-Trek, Ineos Grenadiers, Bora-Hansgrohe and Soudal-QuickStep are among the greatest groups within the sport, and all appear to imagine One Biking can lastly change skilled biking’s enterprise mannequin and cut back the dependency on sponsorship revenue and the necessity for fulfillment on the Tour de France.
Soudal-QuickStep crew supervisor Patrick Lefevere was as soon as the supervisor of the AIGCP groups affiliation and spent hours in conferences about attainable reforms, just for them to break down or for Tour de France organisers ASO to defend their dominance of the game.
But Lefevere seems to imagine within the One Biking challenge. The veteran crew supervisor thinks personal fairness buyers may be satisfied to bankroll One Biking and that just a few groups can work along with different stakeholders to create one thing new that enhances their income and ultimately pushes others, together with ASO, to change into concerned.
“Are you aware why I imagine within the One Biking challenge? As a result of if there are 4 or 5 groups concerned, it may work,” Lefevere instructed a small group of media, together with Cyclingnews, on the latest Soudal-QuickStep media day in Spain.
“It’s all the time the identical music; there are too many unfavorable folks in biking. If we simply sit right here, nothing will occur. If you wish to see a miracle, go to Lourdes, but when we would like issues to vary, we’ve to work on it and work in the identical path.
“If there are 18 folks with their fingers on the steering wheel, it will not occur. Three, 4 or 5 groups should take the lead. If that occurs, the others will come. Then when it’s prepared and signed, you may go to your colleagues and ask: ‘We did this, do you need to be a part of us or not? Even for those who didn’t do something for it, you may get this a lot cash from the brand new challenge.’
Some imagine that the One Biking challenge may revolutionise the game and eventually unite groups, race organisers and even the UCI.
Underneath the attainable One Biking plans, a brand new personal, commercially-driven firm, would personal and run a big a part of the game, whereas the UCI has a extra easy governance function.
Non-public fairness would bankroll the brand new firm and so the shareholder groups and organisers. It could assist create new methods to monetize completely different facets of the game and the followers in return for his or her funding.
The brand new firm would create a way of unity, like in so many different fashionable sports activities, moderately than with the fixed energy battle over governance and cash that presently holds again skilled biking. With the present WorldTour crew and race licences lasting till the tip of 2025, any new challenge may start within the 2026 season.
It’s unclear if Tour de France organiser ASO is keen to be part of the One Biking challenge. The highly effective French organiser is the elephant within the room that holds an enormous sway on the game as a result of sporting and business significance of the Tour de France.
The Grand Excursions could possibly be just like the Grand Slams in tennis and sit above the opposite races, with ASO’s different races reminiscent of Paris-Good, Liège-Bastogne-Liège maybe ultimately a part of the brand new One Biking challenge. Nonetheless, ASO has all the time tried to defend their very own pursuits and particularly the significance of the Tour de France.
“For certain, they don’t need to share their cake,” Lefevere admitted, indicating how ASO defends the numerous revenues generated by the Tour de France.
Nonetheless, ASO could also be thinking about creating a brand new and larger cake in the event that they get a big slice.
“We’re in a ship, and its identify is ‘Biking.’ If we row in the identical path, then the cake can develop. They (ASO) can preserve the cake they’ve but when the cake grows by 200% then they’ll be on the desk,” Lefevere prompt, mixing up his enterprise mannequin metaphors however talking enterprise sense.
“I by no means agreed with the late Monsieur Amaury, who as soon as mentioned it’s the Tour de France that makes the riders nice. It is the riders that make the Tour, riders like Anquiltel, Merckx and Hinault.”
Lefevere hinted at a One Biking dream situation, with the brand new challenge offered on the eve of the 2025 Tour de France, to maybe steal the limelight of the most important race of the calendar.
“It’d be good if it occurred the week earlier than the Tour de France. If let’s imagine, ‘We did it, we’ve a brand new challenge and ASO, you’re welcome’,” Lefevere mentioned mischievously.
“For those who don’t agree, we’ll nonetheless go to the Tour de France. If we’ve a WorldTour licence, they should take us.”
Lefevere not too long ago turned 69 and now shares administration of the Soudal-QuickStep crew with new Chief Working Officer Jurgen Foré.
The 2 managers are as completely different as chalk and cheese, with Lefevere identified for being outspoken, whereas Foré comes from the world of enterprise consulting after working for Deloitte.
But they appear to agree on the necessity for the One Biking reforms.
“All nice issues began with a dream, with collaboration and goodwill,” Foré instructed Cyclingnews of the One Biking challenge and the way he would really like ASO to be concerned.
“I feel all people understands that we have to discover out some option to collaborate on making the revenue mannequin {of professional} biking stronger. It is in all our pursuits. I don’t assume there’s any manner for the longer term however to collaborate.
“ASO is a crucial participant in skilled biking. They’ve the most effective and a few nice races, however there are different sturdy gamers too. A dream can begin with some events working collectively. If that’s profitable, then others may be satisfied to hitch.
“For me, One Biking is It’s all about groups, organisers and federations coming collectively to make the mannequin of biking higher and stronger. It isn’t about preventing over what’s already there however making it stronger and making the enterprise mannequin extra sturdy so that everybody can profit.
“We (the groups) can compete on the races, but it surely’s necessary we collaborate as colleagues to make the mannequin stronger after which innovate it. Then biking can solely win from that.”
