“The Saudis will buy the Tour within five to ten years” – Johan Bruyneel has no doubt cycling is about to change forever
Cycling
According to Johan Bruyneel, the Tour de France will soon be owned by Saudi Arabia. Speaking on TheMove podcast, which he hosts with Lance Armstrong, Bruyneel discussed the growing influence of Saudi investment in cycling and suggested that a takeover of the sport’s most prestigious race is inevitable.
The conversation arose as the two analysed the controversial finish of Stage 1 of the Volta ao Algarve, where most of the peloton took a wrong turn in the final kilometres in another moment the organisers will desperately want to forget. The error led to the race jury annulling the stage classification, meaning no official stage winner was declared.
It was, undoubtedly, another shocking moment in a growing
catalog of disasters for race organizers and the UCI.
"Everyone should have been given the same time so that
nobody lost their opportunity. But Ganna and ten to twenty other riders took
the correct route, while the rest made a mistake. He should have just been
awarded the victory," Bruyneel argued.
Despite the ruling aligning with UCI regulations, Bruyneel
remained critical of how race organizers handled the situation.
"Technically, they’re right, because according to the
rules, riders must know the course," he said. "The bizarre thing is
that the Lotto team actually scouted the finish the day before. They knew that
the correct side was on the left. With all the technology available today,
riders know every detail of a finish.
“And yet, they still went the wrong way in large numbers. It
just proves once again: when you’re going full gas, you go where there’s space.
People often say riders should pay more attention, but that’s not how it works.
They need better guidance, this situation should never have happened."
Bruyneel also expressed frustration at what he sees as inconsistent
rule enforcement by cycling’s governing body.
"There is no consistency in the way the rules are
applied. It’s pure interpretation in the moment. Taking Ganna’s victory away
wasn’t fair. He did nothing wrong, he simply won the race."
His criticism of the UCI extended beyond this particular
incident, highlighting what he sees as their resistance to outside competition.
"I don’t know, but I keep repeating it: I see the same
comments over and over—SafeR must be fully independent. The UCI wants to keep
all the power. Anything that isn’t under their control, they won’t accept. If
something isn’t sanctioned, licensed, controlled, and approved by them, they
try to block it.
“They’ll say that riders who participate in those races
can’t compete in theirs. They’ll do everything possible to make sure no one
takes part, unless they get a seat at the table and can have control over
it."
For Bruyneel, the Tour de France holds the key to reshaping
professional cycling.
"The king on the chessboard is the Tour de France. If
you own that, you can build your own calendar around it, and it won’t matter if
you’re allowed to race the World Championships or not," he said.
He believes this shift will happen within the next five to
ten years, largely due to the financial backing of Saudi Arabia.
"That’s why I think OneCycling will succeed in the long
run. Especially because Saudi money is behind it. OneCycling will likely start
as a kind of sub-division, probably with some level of UCI approval. But in the
end, the Saudis will buy the Tour. It’s inevitable. I see it happening within
five to ten years."
This builds on the growing momentum of One Cycling, which is
looking to take over cycling. What do you think of Bruyneel’s point of view?
And what about One Cycling?
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