"Cycling isn’t just the Tour de France or Pogacar" - Former Lotto manager criticizes 'few human values' in modern business

Stephane Heulot was the general manager behind the Lotto team for three years but that came to an end this summer, and the Frenchman admits quite a lot of dissatisfaction towards how business is conducted currently in pro cycling, with less and less human values, contract breakings and lack of long-term vision convincing Heulot that he had done all he could - against the backdrop of a chaotic merger that was to happen with Intermarché - Wanty.

“It wasn’t burnout. I feel I accomplished my mission. I arrived at a team that was falling apart financially, logistically and humanly. There was no real management. It was a huge rebuilding job, but after three years, I’d reached the limit of what I could do," he said in an interview with Cyclism'Actu. Rightfully so, the team bounced back and will be rejoining the World Tour now in 2026, and with a batch of young riders who can continue to lead and propel the team in coming years.

But on the management side, things were not pretty. "The system had become too political. During the second week of the Tour, I was finalizing discussions with sponsors ready to join us. When I presented the project to the board, the Lotto's CEO told me I was too late, that talks with Intermarché were already underway," he reveals. And these were the team's definitive plan. "I was stunned. Everything was ready to announce the new co-sponsor. From that moment, everything changed.”

And so over the past few months, it was the merger that took up the management's main effort. It is to be concluded soon, but with riders and staff of both teams being left without a job. “There were few human values left in the way decisions were made. I make a clear distinction between the team, with its staff and riders, and the ownership system, which is much more political. That’s beyond my capacity for patience and understanding.”

“The credit goes to the riders. They’re the ones turning the pedals. My role was to rebuild confidence and redistribute responsibility. But cycling is changing fast," he fears, with very clear examples. "Contracts aren’t always respected anymore. There’s no long-term vision. When agreements aren’t respected, the whole balance collapses.”

“The real problem is that cycling’s business model isn’t sustainable. We talk about creating value at the top but never about redistributing it at the base. Amateur structures are collapsing, subsidies are shrinking, and local authorities are stepping back. Without a foundation, everything collapses," Heulot warns. "We’re forgetting the volunteers, the coaches, the people who guide young riders and pass on healthy values. When all that disappears, cycling will just be an empty shell.”

He sees the current state of cycling as far from its best, with too much emphasis on the money and the big deals whilst somewhat neglecting the base of what is key to maintain the sport on its feet. “Of course I want to stay in cycling. My son has relaunched a junior team based on the old Sojasun Espoirs. It’s a family passion, passed down from my father, who’s been involved in the sport for over 50 years. Cycling isn’t just the Tour de France or Pogacar. If we forget the grassroots, it’ll soon be too late," he concluded.