“If you charge €5, that doesn’t mean it’s no longer for the people” – Wout van Aert joins growing debate around calls to introduce ticketing at cycling's biggest races
Cycling
Wout van Aert has stepped directly into cycling’s increasingly heated discussion over ticketing at major races, arguing that asking fans to pay a small fee does not betray the sport’s roots as a people’s pastime.
Speaking to De Tijd, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star pointed to cyclocross as proof that paid access and a popular atmosphere can coexist.
“If you charge €5 entry fee, that doesn’t mean it’s no longer for the people. The cyclocross asks for entry money, and nothing is more ‘of the people’ than that,” he said.
At a time when proposals to charge spectators on iconic climbs and in high-demand zones are becoming more visible – and more controversial – Van Aert’s comments place one of the peloton’s most influential riders firmly on the side of those who believe ticketing should at least be on the table.
Van Aert: cycling is “too fragile” without revenue from within the sport
Van Aert’s reasoning goes beyond a simple culture-war argument over whether fans should pay. For him, the question is bound up with the structural weakness of a sport that still depends almost entirely on outside sponsors to survive.
He warned that the current model leaves teams exposed the moment a backer steps away. “I think that fragility would be much less of an issue if, alongside sponsorship income, there were also revenues coming from the sport itself,” he explained. “From TV rights, for example, or other organisations.”
That line neatly connects the ticketing debate to the broader discussion about how cycling funds itself. Entry fees on certain climbs or in specific fan zones are being explored by some as one part of a wider mix of new income streams: TV rights distributed differently, more structured hospitality, and paid spectator areas at the most in-demand points on the course.
Van Aert also drew a clear contrast with the way American leagues handle their finances. “When I see how the NBA controls its playing field, while still letting teams enjoy what comes in from TV money: cycling can learn a lot from that.”
In that sense, ticketing is not presented as a magic solution, but as one element in a broader move towards the kind of centralised, shareable revenues that other sports have already embraced.
A rider’s view from the heart of the sport
Crucially, Van Aert framed his comments not just as a theoretical exercise, but as a reflection of how races actually function for teams on the ground. He underlined that the biggest events in the calendar depend entirely on riders and squads turning up – yet those same teams see little financial return for doing so.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but a major race like the Ronde or the Tour stands or falls with us — the riders and teams who come to take part. But as a team we don’t even receive compensation that covers the cost of that participation. That should really be a minimum. The pie could be divided more fairly.”
That perspective helps explain why riders are now engaging more openly with ideas that were once considered untouchable. For teams operating on tight budgets, any additional, stable revenue that ultimately flows back into the sport – whether from TV, hospitality, or carefully managed ticketing – is seen as a potential way to reduce that fragility Van Aert keeps coming back to.
Slotting into an already-noisy ticketing debate
Although Van Aert’s interview stands on its own, it drops into a debate that has been steadily building around proposals to charge fans in specific, high-pressure locations.
Former team boss Jerome Pineau pushed the subject into the spotlight with his high-profile call to “privatise” a key mountain stage and introduce paid access and VIP structures on one of the sport’s most famous climbs.
Italian voices have also been prominent in the conversation: one of our earlier pieces highlighted Paolo Bettini’s view under the line “It’s right that fans should pay”, while another centred on Filippo Pozzato’s argument that supporters must understand they are “not wasting money” when they pay for access and services around big races.
In a conversation where so much has been framed as all-or-nothing, Van Aert speaking out is a clear signal from one of the sport’s biggest stars that cycling can explore new revenue without abandoning the very fans who built it. Whether those same fans will agree however, is another matter.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 20visitors 13
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
13 Comments