Cycling has evolved greatly in recent years, particularly with the arrival of state-led training (UAE Team Emirates, Bahrain-Victorious, Israel-Premier Tech). These new teams have a lot of money and can build teams made up of 4-5 or even 6 stars like UAE Team Emirates. The latter even offered the biggest contract in the history of cycling to Tadej Pogacar a few weeks ago. Faced with this competition, other teams are finding themselves in more and more difficulty like Arkéa – B&B Hotels or Intermarché-Wantywho struggle to compete. A sort of salary cap has already been considered in order to limit the expenses of certain teams as in NBA. Christian Prudhommedirector of Tour de Francerevealed that this project was more advanced than one could think.
Video – Christian Prudhomme on the 2025 Tour
“The match is a little unbalanced”
During an interview given to Free Midday, Christian Prudhomme returned to the subject. “There is a reflection carried out by the UCI, with the organizers, the teams, on the fact of perhaps having a maximum budget. Because in fact, with the capital coming in particular from Arab countries, the match is a little unbalanced. It's an understatement to say so.”explains the director of Tour de France. And for him, the big sponsors, “This is perhaps what the French teams are missing.”.
“The idea is that we can have good riders in each of the teams. That we do not have a concentration of resources in a single team. And make sure that we have leaders in each team and that the race is more interesting. That's the objective. It's not about bothering so-and-so.”had explained David Lappartient in 2018, president of the UCI. “If a team is able to buy the ten best riders in the world then there is no longer any interest in the sport. The overall salary cap does not prohibit paying an athlete very expensively, but in this case it It will be necessary to regulate with the rest of the workforce. That's it, then it's a team strategy.“, he clarified.
Related News :