The much-discussed One Cycling project suffered a serious blow when the UCI refused to award their new races WorldTour status for 2026, but those behind One Cycling insist their hopes to revolutionize pro cycling are still alive.
Indeed, they are now considering how to challenge the UCI, Tour de France organiser ASO and the status quo of the sport so that the One Cycling project can succeed.
The Saudi Arabian SURJ Sports Investment fund, controlled by the huge Saudi PIF sovereign wealth fund, is ready to finance One Cycling via a €250 million investment.
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SURJ CEO Dany Townsend has talked about wanting to have a 'transformative' rather than 'disruptive' impact on sports that they invest in, but SURJ and One Cycling now seem ready to be far more aggressive after the UCI slammed the door in their face.
A source close to the One Cycling project spoke to Cyclingnews on condition of anonymity. They suggested that a number of the biggest consumer brands in the world are ready to invest in pro cycling if the One Cycling project happens and the sport is transformed.
"Sports that are willing to transform and change are interesting to investors; those that aren't will get left behind. Pro cycling is on a precipice right now," the One Cycling source told Cyclingnews.
"The consequence of burying your head in the sand could be the death of you. Cycling very much faces that risk."
One Cycling had hoped to create four new WorldTour races for 2026 in North and South America and in Saudi Arabia, and include them in a new series of 22 races. However, the UCI Management Committee deemed that it was "incompatible with the governance and regulatory framework of the UCI as well as lacking sporting coherence."
The One Cycling source claimed that 20 major teams, including four separate women's teams and some French teams, have joined the project. A number of major race organisers are also part of the project, apparently placing Tour de France organiser ASO in a minority.
Visma-Lease a Bike, EF Education-Easypost, Ineos Grenadiers, Soudal-QuickStep, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek and other major men's and women's teams are said to be ready to become shareholders in the One Cycling management company. Race organisers Flanders Classics and Giro d'Italia organiser RCS Sport have been reported to be ready to be part of the project but have steadfastly refused to comment on their position.
One Cycling believes it has 95% of the best riders in the sport involved in its plans, with only ASO taking a stand against One Cycling. UCI President David Lappartient has tried to court the Saudi investment for the wider good of cycling, but ultimately the UCI sided against giving One Cycling races WorldTour status.
In response, One Cycling now seems ready to try to overthrow the current governance structure of the sport, with the AIGCP teams association and the AIOCC race organisers association likely to split, as those involved in One Cycling take a different direction and push on with their plans.
Those in One Cycling seem especially angry with Lappartient, calling on the Frenchman to work for the wider good of the sport, rather than help defend ASO's dominance.
The best rider in the best races but more monetization of the fans
Cyclingnews obtained a 150-page document in the spring of 2024 that detailed One Cycling’s strategy to monetize fans, sponsors and broadcasters much more.
It includes further developing VIP hospitality areas at races and perhaps even charging fans to see races at specific locations.
Digital technology and modern marketing techniques would be harnessed to monetise event rights, digital platforms, betting, gamification, merchandising and fan membership. No stone would be left unturned to find new revenue and monetise the sport.
Grand Tours could perhaps be shortened in a shake-up of the race calendar, and the One Cycling teams have committed to making their best riders race more and so clash more often.
One Cycling suggests that the top 10 riders in the world race against each other 28% of the time, noting that Pogačar and Vingegaard only raced against each other for the first time since last year's Dauphine. Based on a statistical analysis and agreed race calendar, One Cycling will have their riders race each other 72% of the time.
One Cycling does not seem afraid to challenge the status quo and take on the UCI and ASO as it tries to keep its plans alive.
They insist they do not want a war or to spark a breakaway league. The One Cycling teams and riders will still ride the Tour de France and the other WorldTour races, but are convinced of their plans and are ambitious.
"We've got a commercial proposition that we think works. We think it's going to grow revenue for the sport. It's going to allow the teams and organisers that are all losing money to potentially make money," the source told Cyclingnews.
"I'm not sure how on earth anyone presiding over a sport can ignore that or build impediments for that change to happen."
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