“It’s not a game, it’s a fight” - Lotto CEO Stephane Heulot lifts lid on brutal cycling sponsorship race

To the outside world, professional cycling is a sport defined by drama, battles and most importantly: passion. But behind the spectacle is a harsh financial reality, as Lotto CEO Stephane Heulot has revealed in a remarkably frank interview with Wielerflits. The team is fighting for both results and survival, caught in a sponsorship arms race that has only intensified as the cost of racing climbs and economic uncertainty lingers.

“There are a number of very nice names on the table, but nothing has been finalized at the moment. I am very busy with sponsors, but it is clear that there are increasing costs in the peloton because of inflation,” Heulot said.

While his team is in a strong position on the road, almost guaranteed promotion to the WorldTour, Heulot painted a stark picture of the off-road battles. “You also see what's going on in the world right now, right? A lot of companies are affected by that. Sports sponsorship is therefore not the top priority for many of those companies.”

Heulot’s comments reflect a broader truth across professional cycling: outside a few super-teams with state or tech-sector backing, most squads operate on precarious finances. Heulot admits Lotto aren’t close to matching WorldTeam budgets.

“It is very difficult to fight with the biggest teams, but even with the budget that we have or are aiming for, we can still do nice things. Ideally, we want to end up with the average budget of a WorldTeam, but that is not easy. Today we are not even halfway there.”

Even the act of negotiation, he says, is now intensely competitive. “There are also examples of situations in which we are talking to a sponsor, but suddenly other teams appear and steal the sponsor if we let the talks drag on for too long. It is not a game, it is a fight.”

This battle is not just financial, it’s also structural. Heulot is clear-eyed about the growing disparity in cycling, with wealthier teams like UAE Team Emirates - XRG able to field multiple Grand Tour contenders. “We see a team like UAE Team Emirates - XRG, who have five riders in their selection for the grand tours who can win. I don't think that such a situation is interesting for the spectators to see. Then there is no battle.”

The comments strike at a key tension in modern cycling: as big teams become stronger, the unpredictability that makes the sport compelling could be lost. And with fewer sponsors to go around, the middle-tier teams are under increasing strain, and are typically competing against each other for the sponsors.

That makes identity and long-term strategy all the more important. “When I look at our own team, it's important to stay true to our values and our DNA. And that's clearly our focus on young riders. We don't aim to buy a rider who is in the top five in the world, but we can develop a future top five rider.”

Lotto’s record supports that claim. Riders like Arnaud De Lie, Maxim Van Gils and Lennert Van Eetvelt have broken through with the team’s support. “This year was not a good example, but in 2023 and 2024 we have proven that with that strategy we can be amongst the top 10 teams in the world,” Heulot said.

As the team prepares to return to the WorldTour, Heulot remains cautiously optimistic. “I am optimistic. Ultimately, the most important thing at the moment is that we continue to do well in the WorldTour ranking. We will almost certainly be promoted to the WorldTour and as far as the sponsor is concerned, I remain positive.”