You may have spotted a discussion today on Twitter regarding NFT's, and a collection of NFT's of pro cyclists. Many questions quickly rise and with good reason, here's a little rundown of the situation.
NFT stands for Non-fungible token. You must have heard this a million times by now but still not understand what that actually is and for good reason, but allow me to explain a little bit further. A Non-fungible token is a unique unit of data employing technology that allows digital content to become logged and authenticated on cryptocurrency blockchains, essentially giving you the rights to this content.
Wha content exactly? In this case, artwork of riders who were present in the Tour de France 2021, small cartoon images. So upon buying, which costs between 0.0005 (1,37€) and 10 ETH (27.303,85€, yes you read it right), you get the rights of this image. You don't actually own the image for yourself, as one can save or screenshot the exact same picture you will buy, but you get the right to say you own it.
Which when you look deeper, is not actually the case, since one needs to have the naming rights to actually own said cartoon and there is nothing that indicates that the creator of his NFT has the naming rights for any team or rider showcased on the list. You can easily see this on other platforms in the cycling world, for example Pro Cycling Manager, the biggest cycling management game in the world, does not own naming rights for several teams. So what exactly do you get from doing this?
At times, NFT's were a tool for small artists to create and sell their own art in a way that would reward them, even though that can at times still be the case, the reputation NFT's carry is that of being a platform in which scammers work with, or at the very least, you won't participate in the scam but you will pay money for something which has no value. What can happen is you buy and afterwards resell for a higher price, possibly benifiting from royalties in the future, but that's a risk you have to take in the first place.
But that is if you actually do it before teams actually see their name is being used, that the people in control of copyrights in cycling actually see what's going on and force these NFT's to stop existing; on what's called the blockchain, that is, as anyone can keep the jpeg file they've saved.
Sure enough then you must've understood that the mere fact that people have noticed the existence of this collection has gotten cycling fans upset. With good reason, nothing indicates that this project is legal and the idea that cash-grab projects get into cycling to the detriment of some is not well received. And this is ignoring the environmental damage that comes from it, and the fact that the value is created by the people who own such tokens so you are in theory just trusting on someone's estimated value of such art.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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