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megasmacky
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megasmacky
Those former pros are correct but even they aren't coming close to recognizing how bad things are. The only place cycling is healthy is at the top, wealthiest level. The WT races and the top 5-6 teams. Everywhere else the sport is in imminent danger of collapse. Smaller races are hanging by a thread. The rely on community investment, local businesses and volunteers, all of which are disappearing. These races used to survive by featuring top riders, who used them to train for the bigger events. Now riders don't need to do that. Pogacar raced one of the Italian fall semi-classics but otherwise every race he did was a WT race. The only way now to get top riders is by offering huge appearance fees. Most of these smaller races are running deficits, a situation that's doomed to failure. Remember the Criterium International? The Tour of Picardy? The Tour of the Mining Valleys? Midi Libre? All gone, soon to be followed by dozens of others. The B&B Hotels collapse is a massive warning bell. Prospective sponsors know that unless they're willing to fund a team to the tune of 30 million or more, they're doomed to nothing but TV breakaways and the occasional French Cup race or small stage win. Why would a corporate sponsor kick in $8 million when they know for a fact it'll result in basically zero success? UAE winning 100 races is a disaster, nothing to celebrate, it's merely a sign of a sick, ailing sport. It's time to admit the unthinkable. A sport that takes in zero ticket sales can never be a major sport, competing with football or F1 for viewers. It just can't. How much does Liverpool FC, or the Dallas Cowboys make from one home game in ticket sales? I'm guessing it's equal to about a third of an entire low-end team's budget for the season. It's time for a hard budget cap for teams and a drastic lowering of expectations. Selling tickets to the final few k's of Alpe D'Huez or the finish of a sprint stage isn't going to come close to fixing things.
12-11-2025 17:24
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+2
megasmacky
Those former pros are correct but even they aren't coming close to recognizing how bad things are. The only place cycling is healthy is at the top, wealthiest level. The WT races and the top 5-6 teams. Everywhere else the sport is in imminent danger of collapse. Smaller races are hanging by a thread. The rely on community investment, local businesses and volunteers, all of which are disappearing. These races used to survive by featuring top riders, who used them to train for the bigger events. Now riders don't need to do that. Pogacar raced one of the Italian fall semi-classics but otherwise every race he did was a WT race. The only way now to get top riders is by offering huge appearance fees. Most of these smaller races are running deficits, a situation that's doomed to failure. Remember the Criterium International? The Tour of Picardy? The Tour of the Mining Valleys? Midi Libre? All gone, soon to be followed by dozens of others. The B&B Hotels collapse is a massive warning bell. Prospective sponsors know that unless they're willing to fund a team to the tune of 30 million or more, they're doomed to nothing but TV breakaways and the occasional French Cup race or small stage win. Why would a corporate sponsor kick in $8 million when they know for a fact it'll result in basically zero success? UAE winning 100 races is a disaster, nothing to celebrate, it's merely a sign of a sick, ailing sport. It's time to admit the unthinkable. A sport that takes in zero ticket sales can never be a major sport, competing with football or F1 for viewers. It just can't. How much does Liverpool FC, or the Dallas Cowboys make from one home game in ticket sales? I'm guessing it's equal to about a third of an entire low-end team's budget for the season. It's time for a hard budget cap for teams and a drastic lowering of expectations. Selling tickets to the final few k's of Alpe D'Huez or the finish of a sprint stage isn't going to come close to fixing things.12-11-2025 17:24