The small print of the One Biking reform undertaking, designed to shake up and modernise skilled biking, are nonetheless largely shrouded in thriller, hidden away from the followers by secret negotiations and non-disclosure agreements.
Richard Plugge of Visma-Lease a Bike gave the impression to be the preliminary driving pressure earlier than the thought of One Biking. Now, different groups and a few main race organisers are additionally concerned.
EF Training-Easypost, Lidl-Trek, Ineos Grenadiers, Bora-Hansgrohe and Soudal-QuickStep are a number of the greatest groups within the sport, and all appear to imagine One Biking can lastly change skilled biking’s enterprise mannequin and scale back the dependency on sponsorship earnings and the necessity for achievement on the Tour de France.
Soudal-QuickStep staff supervisor Patrick Lefevere was as soon as the supervisor of the AIGCP groups affiliation and spent hours in conferences about attainable reforms, just for them to break down or for Tour de France organisers ASO to defend their dominance of the game.
But Lefevere seems to imagine within the One Biking undertaking. The veteran staff supervisor thinks personal fairness buyers may be satisfied to bankroll One Biking and that a number of groups can work along with different stakeholders to create one thing new that enhances their income and ultimately pushes others, together with ASO, to develop into concerned.
“Are you aware why I imagine within the One Biking undertaking? As a result of if there are 4 or 5 groups concerned, it might work,” Lefevere instructed a small group of media, together with Cyclingnews, on the latest Soudal-QuickStep media day in Spain.
“It’s at all times the identical track; there are too many damaging individuals in biking. If we simply sit right here, nothing will occur. If you wish to see a miracle, go to Lourdes, but when we would like issues to vary, now we have to work on it and work in the identical path.
“If there are 18 individuals with their fingers on the steering wheel, it will not occur. Three, 4 or 5 groups should take the lead. If that occurs, the others will come. Then when it’s prepared and signed, you’ll be able to go to your colleagues and ask: ‘We did this, do you need to be part of us or not? Even in case you didn’t do something for it, you will get this a lot cash from the brand new undertaking.’
Some imagine that the One Biking undertaking might revolutionise the game and at last unite groups, race organisers and even the UCI.
Below the attainable One Biking plans, a brand new personal, commercially-driven firm, would personal and run a major a part of the game, whereas the UCI has a extra easy governance function.
Non-public fairness would bankroll the brand new firm and so the shareholder groups and organisers. It might assist create new methods to monetize totally different elements of the game and the followers in return for his or her funding.
The brand new firm would create a way of unity, like in so many different fashionable sports activities, slightly than with the fixed energy battle over governance and cash that presently holds again skilled biking. With the present WorldTour staff and race licences lasting till the tip of 2025, any new undertaking might start within the 2026 season.
It’s unclear if Tour de France organiser ASO is keen to be part of the One Biking undertaking. The highly effective French organiser is the elephant within the room that holds an enormous sway on the game as a result of sporting and industrial significance of the Tour de France.
The Grand Excursions could possibly be just like the Grand Slams in tennis and sit above the opposite races, with ASO’s different races resembling Paris-Good, Liège-Bastogne-Liège maybe ultimately a part of the brand new One Biking undertaking. Nonetheless, ASO has at all times tried to defend their very own pursuits and particularly the significance of the Tour de France.
“For certain, they don’t need to share their cake,” Lefevere admitted, indicating how ASO defends the numerous revenues generated by the Tour de France.
Nonetheless, ASO could also be keen on creating a brand new and larger cake in the event that they get a major slice.
“We’re in a ship, and its identify is ‘Biking.’ If we row in the identical path, then the cake can develop. They (ASO) can hold the cake they’ve but when the cake grows by 200% then they’ll be on the desk,” Lefevere steered, mixing up his enterprise mannequin metaphors however talking enterprise sense.
“I by no means agreed with the late Monsieur Amaury, who as soon as mentioned it’s the Tour de France that makes the riders nice. It is the riders that make the Tour, riders like Anquiltel, Merckx and Hinault.”
Lefevere hinted at a One Biking dream state of affairs, with the brand new undertaking introduced on the eve of the 2025 Tour de France, to maybe steal the limelight of the largest race of the calendar.
“It’d be good if it occurred the week earlier than the Tour de France. If lets say, ‘We did it, now we have a brand new undertaking and ASO, you’re welcome’,” Lefevere mentioned mischievously.
“If you happen to don’t agree, we’ll nonetheless go to the Tour de France. If now we have a WorldTour licence, they should take us.”
Lefevere not too long ago turned 69 and now shares administration of the Soudal-QuickStep staff with new Chief Working Officer Jurgen Foré.
The 2 managers are as totally different as chalk and cheese, with Lefevere identified for being outspoken, whereas Foré comes from the world of enterprise consulting after working for Deloitte.
But they appear to agree on the necessity for the One Biking reforms.
“All nice issues began with a dream, with collaboration and goodwill,” Foré instructed Cyclingnews of the One Biking undertaking and the way he would really like ASO to be concerned.
“I feel all people understands that we have to discover out some strategy to collaborate on making the earnings mannequin {of professional} biking stronger. It is in all our pursuits. I don’t assume there’s any means for the long run however to collaborate.
“ASO is a vital participant in skilled biking. They’ve the perfect and a few nice races, however there are different robust gamers too. A dream can begin with some events working collectively. If that’s profitable, then others may be satisfied to hitch.
“For me, One Biking is It’s all about groups, organisers and federations coming collectively to make the mannequin of biking higher and stronger. It is not about combating over what’s already there however making it stronger and making the enterprise mannequin extra sturdy so that everybody can profit.
“We (the groups) can compete on the races, but it surely’s essential we collaborate as colleagues to make the mannequin stronger after which innovate it. Then biking can solely win from that.”