The details of the One Cycling reform project, designed to shake up and modernise professional cycling, are still largely shrouded in mystery, hidden away from the fans by secret negotiations and non-disclosure agreements.
Richard Plugge of Visma-Lease a Bike appeared to be the initial driving force before the idea of One Cycling. Now, other teams and some major race organisers are also involved.
EF Education-Easypost, Lidl-Trek, Ineos Grenadiers, Bora-Hansgrohe and Soudal-QuickStep are some of the biggest teams in the sport, and all seem to believe One Cycling can finally change professional cycling’s business model and reduce the dependency on sponsorship income and the need for success at the Tour de France.
Soudal-QuickStep team manager Patrick Lefevere was once the manager of the AIGCP teams association and spent hours in meetings about possible reforms, only for them to collapse or for Tour de France organisers ASO to defend their dominance of the sport.
Yet Lefevere appears to believe in the One Cycling project. The veteran team manager thinks private equity investors can be convinced to bankroll One Cycling and that a few teams can work together with other stakeholders to create something new that boosts their revenue and eventually pushes others, including ASO, to become involved.
“Do you know why I believe in the One Cycling project? Because if there are four or five teams involved, it could work,” Lefevere told a small group of media, including Cyclingnews, at the recent Soudal-QuickStep media day in Spain.
“It’s always the same song; there are too many negative people in cycling. If we just sit here, nothing will happen. If you want to see a miracle, go to Lourdes, but if we want things to change, we have to work on it and work in the same direction.
“If there are 18 people with their hands on the steering wheel, it won't happen. Three, four or five teams have to take the lead. If that happens, the others will come. Then when it’s ready and signed, you can go to your colleagues and ask: ‘We did this, do you want to join us or not? Even if you didn’t do anything for it, you can get this much money from the new project.’
Some believe that the One Cycling project could revolutionise the sport and finally unite teams, race organisers and even the UCI.
Under the possible One Cycling plans, a new private, commercially-driven company, would own and run a significant part of the sport, while the UCI has a more simple governance role.
Private equity would bankroll the new company and so the shareholder teams and organisers. It would help create new ways to monetize different aspects of the sport and the fans in return for their investment.
The new company would create a sense of unity, like in so many other modern sports, rather than with the constant power struggle over governance and money that currently holds back professional cycling. With the current WorldTour team and race licences lasting until the end of 2025, any new project could begin in the 2026 season.
It is unclear if Tour de France organiser ASO is willing to be a part of the One Cycling project. The powerful French organiser is the elephant in the room that holds a huge sway on the sport due to the sporting and commercial importance of the Tour de France.
The Grand Tours could be like the Grand Slams in tennis and sit above the other races, with ASO’s other races such as Paris-Nice, Liège-Bastogne-Liège perhaps eventually part of the new One Cycling project. However, ASO has always tried to defend their own interests and especially the importance of the Tour de France.
“For sure, they don’t want to share their cake,” Lefevere admitted, indicating how ASO defends the significant revenues generated by the Tour de France.
However, ASO may be interested in creating a new and bigger cake if they get a significant slice.
“We’re in a boat, and its name is ‘Cycling.’ If we row in the same direction, then the cake can grow. They (ASO) can keep the cake they have but if the cake grows by 200% then they’ll be at the table,” Lefevere suggested, mixing up his business model metaphors but speaking business sense.
“I never agreed with the late Monsieur Amaury, who once said it’s the Tour de France that makes the riders great. It's the riders that make the Tour, riders like Anquiltel, Merckx and Hinault.”
Lefevere hinted at a One Cycling dream scenario, with the new project presented on the eve of the 2025 Tour de France, to perhaps steal the limelight of the biggest race of the calendar.
“It’d be nice if it happened the week before the Tour de France. If we could say, ‘We did it, we have a new project and ASO, you’re welcome',” Lefevere said mischievously.
“If you don’t agree, we’ll still go to the Tour de France. If we have a WorldTour licence, they have to take us.”
Lefevere recently turned 69 and now shares management of the Soudal-QuickStep team with new Chief Operating Officer Jurgen Foré.
The two managers are as different as chalk and cheese, with Lefevere known for being outspoken, while Foré comes from the world of business consulting after working for Deloitte.
Yet they seem to agree on the need for the One Cycling reforms.
“All great things started with a dream, with collaboration and goodwill,” Foré told Cyclingnews of the One Cycling project and how he would like ASO to be involved.
“I think everybody understands that we need to find out some way to collaborate on making the income model of professional cycling stronger. It's in all our interests. I don’t think there is any way for the future but to collaborate.
“ASO is an important player in professional cycling. They have the best and some great races, but there are other strong players too. A dream can start with some parties working together. If that is successful, then others can be convinced to join.
“For me, One Cycling is It’s all about teams, organisers and federations coming together to make the model of cycling better and stronger. It's not about fighting over what is already there but making it stronger and making the business model more robust so that everyone can benefit.
"We (the teams) can compete at the races, but it’s important we collaborate as colleagues to make the model stronger and then innovate it. Then cycling can only win from that.”
