ONE Cycling is a project in the making that may revolutionize cycling in the next few years.
Richard Plugge, head of the project - and also Team Visma | Lease a Bike - runs through some of the ideas to make the sport more popular and attractive to an ever-growing audience.
"We need to consider where cycling will be in 10 years and how we can improve the sport and its business model. With ONE Cycling, we aim to involve everyone, including the Tour, other teams, and the UCI – everyone," Plugge said in the BV Sports radio show. "Cycling has much greater potential beyond the current financial scope. This applies not only to me but also to organizers and other teams. This isn't about creating a Super League; it's about working together. UCI President David Lappartient supports this vision; he too wants to leave cycling in a better state when he steps down."
Recently Lappartient, director of the Tour de France, reaffirmed that he does not see the spark in this new project, which is said to have large financial backing from Saudi Arabia. The idea is of creating a league of races similar to the World Tour - with many of it's current events - an develop the calendar in a way that these have more star riders, more audience and views.
Essentially, make cycling a more attractive sport than it currently is. "We are exploring this with organizers and the UCI. However, politically, things have been quiet. We've had extensive discussions, but progress has stalled, which is frustrating. As for investors, there is interest from various parties, not just from Saudi Arabia," he tells. Environmental concerns regarding the sport are also in the mind of the project, but Plugge is very keen on raising the amount of circuit finales. An idea he sees has worked in other big events.
"Logistically, it's getting tougher. Why not consider circuit races? There will come a time when even the Tour cannot cover 200 kilometers from point A to B, and opting for circuit races may become necessary. Currently, we navigate through villages at 60 kilometers per hour, when the speed limit is 30 kilometers per hour," he tells. He gives the example of a few events that have successfully implemented this format.
"The Tour of Flanders has implemented this successfully, and the World Championships is another example. This approach also generates revenue, as it allows for greater entertainment value for the audience and opportunities to sell hospitality packages," he explains. "By doing so, we can maintain interest for future generations, especially considering the stiff competition from other sports for the younger demographic. This strategy enables us to extract more value from cycling than what currently exists."
