"Taking part in the Tour de France costs us money" - Visma boss explains why One Cycling is necessary for the sport
Cycling
Richard Plugge is one of the leading men behind the ambitious project called One Cycling. It's main goal is to make cycling less relying on individual sponsorships and more on direct revenue. A noble goal, but first it's needed to clear several obstacles and that's why since the announcement in 2023, there are still no specific plans to revolutionize professional cycling in effect yet.
"Cycling has the potential to be much bigger for so many parties involved," Plugge began in the In de Waaier podcast. "If you look at football or Formula 1, those are much more commercially developed because there’s more collaboration. 95% of our revenue comes from sponsorships, whereas in those other sports, a big part of the income comes from the sport itself. That’s something we want to change."
Team Visma | Lease a Bike boss comes with a rather shocking revelation that even the team of two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard still loses money riding one of the most watched sport events globally. "In the Tour de France, for example, we do receive a start fee, but it’s never enough to cover all the expenses. Taking part in the Tour often costs us tens of thousands of euros. Meanwhile, the organizer makes an enormous amount of money."
So where do all the money go? Plugge points at the organiser ASO. The company seems to Plugge reluctant to the values of the One Cycling project - obviously as it'd make them lose some of the money.
"ASO wants to keep everything the way it is, but that’s not how you help the sport move forward. I believe you should always look for ways to improve the sport, especially if you’re such a powerful and influential organization. I respect their decision, but I find it disappointing. I really think the entire sport would benefit from change."
Calendar
The packed calendar also makes it difficult to attract new viewers, Plugge believes. "Try explaining why Jonas, for example, doesn’t race against Tadej in the Tour of Flanders. I can explain that easily, but try doing that for someone who doesn’t follow cycling. The UCI needs to ensure that the big names race against each other more often in the major events, but right now, there are simply too many races."
Plugge draws a parallel to football with clearly lined out levels of competition with the Champions League at the top. "When Messi was still playing in Europe, it was unthinkable that he wouldn’t play in a Champions League match," Plugge adds as a comparison.
Such a format could bring in many new viewers also to cycling, he suggests. But right now, the best of best only meet up on two or three ocassions each season, which is not enough. "Of course, not every rider has to do all the big races, but currently, only about 30% of the top riders show up. That should really be closer to 70%."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 9visitors 9
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment