"I find UAE's dominance really frightening" - Patrick Lefevere claims growing budgetary gap within cycling risks ruining competitivity of the peloton

Opening Weekend is here to kick off the Classics season of 2025. Not so long ago, all eyes at this time of year would have been on Soudal - Quick-Step. According to their now-retired former team boss Patrick Lefevere though, the influx of oil money into the sport is seeing the competitiveness of his team and others much reduced.

Notably, Lefevere points out the team of Tadej Pogacar, UAE Team Emirates - XRG as the biggest threat to a competitive peloton. "For the 'competitive balance' of cycling it will be crucial not to let the budgetary gap with the oil dirhams of UAE Team Emirates become too big," writes the Belgian in his column for Het Nieuwsblad. "I find their dominance really frightening. Last year they won 81 races and their team has only become stronger."

Even if Pogacar is taken out of the equation, Lefevere sees an alarming gap between the strength of UAE and many of the rest of the teams in the peloton. "In the UAE spring team, you can now also stack up the leaders. Tadej Pogacar is not participating in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but Mauro Gianetti grabs the basket once and on each of his fingers hangs a rider who can win the race," he explains.

"Anyone who has followed the races in Australia, Spain or Portugal with even half an eye in recent weeks will have seen Antonio Morgado, Jhonatan Narváez and Tim Wellens cycling prominently on screen. I expect them all in the Omloop as well," continues Lefevere. "As a reminder: last year UAE already finished in third, fourth and fifth place in the Tour of Flanders. Even without Pogacar."

That's not to say UAE are the only team targeted by Lefevere though. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and their 'sugar dollars' are also given an examination. "They simply bought together a very strong spring team in one 'mercato' with Laurence Pithie, Oier Lazkano, Jan Tratnik and the Van Dijke brothers. They brought in everyone who was on the market. Plus Maxim Van Gils, who wasn't even on the market," he concludes. "In football it is common knowledge: if you want to predict the final ranking correctly before the start of the season, it is best to rank the teams according to budget. The race - and especially in the spring - followed that logic much less, but in the meantime the power of money also plays a role here in Flanders."