"Unless someone buys the Tour de France it won't change" - Former DS criticises the sponsorship reliant business model of pro cycling

Former Team Jayco AlUla sports director Matt White has broken his silence following his surprise dismissal from the Australian World Tour squad earlier this summer, using the opportunity to warn that professional cycling is “broken” as long as teams remain almost entirely dependent on sponsorship.

White, who spent 14 years shaping the project from its World Tour debut in 2012 until his exit in June, told Cyclist that despite repeated calls for reform, the structure of the sport remains locked in place by the dominance of the Tour de France.

“Ultimately, the problem with our business model is that we’re 90% reliant on sponsorship,” White explained. “There’s no kickback from television revenue and little made from merchandise. You could be the most successful team in the world, but if your sponsor leaves and you can’t find a replacement, the team’s over.

“I’ve seen a few different models and heard the One Cycling proposal, but it’s hard to change anything when the biggest race on our calendar is its own entity. Those three weeks in July attract over 70% of a team’s global publicity. Unless someone comes in and buys the Tour de France – and I can’t see that happening – the business model won’t change.”

White declined to dwell on the circumstances behind his departure – team owner Gerry Ryan hinted simply that “if you keep doing the same thing, you get the same result” – but he was keen to stress his pride in what the Australian squad achieved across more than a decade.

“I was there for 14 years, it was a big part of my life and now it’s time for new challenges. But I’m proud of my work. We went straight into the World Tour in 2012 and enjoyed a whirlwind of success,” he said.

Across that period Jayco racked up around 300 victories, including four of cycling’s five Monuments, two top-four finishes at the Tour de France, Giro podiums, and Simon Yates’ 2018 Vuelta a Espana victory.

White was particularly pleased to see Yates – whom he recruited along with twin brother Adam from the under-23 ranks – claim his long-awaited Giro d’Italia victory this May, albeit in Visma–Lease a Bike colours. “Hugely [proud],” White said. “We plucked Simon and Adam out of the under-23s and they were the backbone of the team for many years, delivering some great wins for us.”

Beyond Jayco, White also reflected on the widening financial gulf in the peloton. “Simply put, if you can attract powerful sponsors, you’ve got a clear advantage,” he argued. “When I started, it was mainly furniture companies investing in the sport. Now you have entire countries. Team Sky arguably started the trend; their mooted budget was around £30 million, the highest in the peloton. Now you have teams like UAE Team Emirates XRG allegedly working with more than double that, and every team probably has a budget over £20 million. But it’s hard to compete with the four or five super-teams who can sweep up the best riders.”

Asked if a salary cap could help level the playing field, White was cautiously supportive, while acknowledging the logistical complexity of enforcing such a system across a sport with riders and teams based in dozens of different nations.

Another major development in recent years has been the introduction of the relegation system, based on a rolling three-year points ranking. White made clear his dissatisfaction with the format. “I’m not a big fan of the points system as it’s Classics-oriented. There are so many points available between Milan–San Remo and Liège that it skews things,” he said.

“Last year Jayco won 25 races, including stages at the Tour and the Vuelta, and finished 14th in the rankings, yet only seven teams won more races than us. If you’re a sponsor, what are you looking for? Surely winning bike races over racking up points. I know UAE finished top but who came third? I have no idea and I’ve been in this sport for years. Ultimately the calendar favours the Classics teams plus those who are willing and able to attend every race. But is that true racing?”

As for his own future, White remains open to a return to the World Tour but suggested he could look beyond cycling for his next challenge.

“Nothing’s certain but if I do return with a WorldTour team for 2026, the move will happen sooner rather than later as you’ll have team meetings from October onwards and training camps in December,” he said. “In the future I’d also not rule out working in a different sport. I have a great interest in high performance and know it would be a great challenge.”

For now, though, White leaves Jayco AlUla with a legacy that spans more than a decade of victories – and a warning that unless the sport’s reliance on sponsorship is addressed, cycling’s future will remain precarious.