One Cycling is a secretive project created by several major teams and race organisers who want to work together to change professional cycling. Spearheaded by Visma-Lease a Bike manager Richard Plugge, the project aims to shake up professional cycling, with an external investor providing the millions needed to build a new business model for the sport and challenge the dominance of Tour de France organiser ASO.
As budgets and rider salaries increase to an average of over €25 million per season, teams want to reduce their dependence on sponsorship and find new ways of funding their organisations. They hope to work with other stakeholders in the sport instead of compete with them, and 'grow the cake' so that everyone in the sport gets a bigger piece. They believe professional cycling is massively undervalued and far too precarious.
