The distinguished Velo d’Or award recognizing one of the best male bike owner on the earth was awarded final week to Jonas Vingegaard, winner of the 2023 Tour de France, whereas Demi Vollering obtained the ladies’s accolade. Vollering’s dominant season left little doubt as to her Velo d’Or resumé, however Vingegaard was a barely shocking selection based mostly on this yr’s onerous numbers.

– You’ll be able to meet up with Professional Biking and the World of Sports activities – with Evaluation, Perception and Reflections from THE OUTER LINE. –

Is Vingegaard a worthy winner of the Velo d’Or?

As we detailed in a Particular Report final week, Vingegaard positioned third by way of complete factors, simply behind Remco Evenepoel and trailing factors winner Tadej Pogačar by a big margin. Vingegaard additionally positioned third by way of complete wins, and fourth by way of what we outlined as “high-quality” wins and podium placements. By way of essentially the most prestigious victories, or “high wins,” Vingegaard additionally positioned third, after Pogačar, and behind Mathieu van der Poel’s exceptional three victories on the world championships and the monuments of Paris-Roubaix and Milano-Sanremo. Provided that the award is decided by a gaggle of journalists on the French journal Vélo (to not be confused with the American Velo website) we surprise if the award this yr would possibly higher be titled the “greatest winner of an enormous French bike race?” Then again, Vingegaard additionally gained the Tour final yr, and he didn’t even rank among the many high three finishers for the Velo d’Or. So, it’s a little bit of a puzzle. As we emphasised in our report, there’s by no means a single proper reply to the query – who’s the world’s greatest bike owner – and that’s a part of the attract of biking.

Demi Vollering’s dominant season left little doubt as to her Velo d’Or resumé

One other veritable frenzy gripped the biking world this previous week after a Reuters report prompt that there are superior talks underway, amongst a number of key stakeholders, to create a brand new “aggressive league.” Though the One Biking idea – initially promoted by Jumbo-Visma boss (and AIGCP president) Richard Plugge – has been bouncing round for a pair years, this newest iteration appears to be a extra particular and near-term plan, apparently supported by a number of of the stronger groups. Reuters additionally reported that the accounting and administration consulting agency EY had been retained to gather expressions of curiosity from potential traders to fund the scheme – with proposals supposedly due this previous weekend. The non-public fairness agency CVC Companions – already closely invested in sports activities – was talked about as a potential investor. Later within the week, there have been options that the Saudi Arabian PIF (sovereign wealth fund) was the potential backer – a rumor that shortly echoed across the biking media, however with none verified corroborating sources. Nonetheless, whereas tales of Saudi curiosity within the sport did flow into a number of months in the past, inferences that the Saudis are “on the cusp” of taking on professional biking appear extremely speculative. The one proof appears to be some offhanded observations – corresponding to podcaster Daniel Friebe’s rumination that the Saudis may be “one of many events who may probably be curious about investing.” The PIF has invested in quite a few sports activities, however traditionally it has not publicized its investments, nor has it labored through intermediaries. Hopefully, the biking media isn’t getting means out over its skis once more on this story.

Extra funding from the Center East?

What has not obtained a lot consideration on this new controversy is the background or nature of EY’s (previously Ernst & Younger) alleged participation on this scheme, in addition to its broader – if considerably underneath the radar – pursuits in professional biking. It’s value noting that the agency has had an prolonged and seemingly cozy relationship with the UCI; it has traditionally been concerned within the WT licensing course of, and has lately authored various complimentary experiences on the financial impression of UCI occasions. If EY – one of many world’s largest skilled providers corporations – is in truth serving to this casual group of groups solicit and qualify potential investor curiosity, it raises a number of questions. First, who’s paying them? High-flight administration consultants don’t come low cost. Has EY helped play a mediation position to deliver the groups and the UCI nearer collectively on reform concepts? Is EY itself in some way financially concerned on this effort to reimagine biking?

Bahrain, UAE and….

Maybe a very powerful query is: what about this plan will allow it to succeed when related reform concepts prior to now have by no means gotten off the bottom? What’s totally different about this plan, and the way will EY or every other participant on this go-around persuade traders that they will make an honest return? If in truth a significant monetary backer for this challenge does emerge, it may find yourself being a scenario much like what we noticed within the LIV golf experiment; i.e., assemble an unique portfolio of athletes or occasions and make some large monetary guarantees. To this point within the LIV case, the massive amount of cash paid to a couple gamers has come straight out of the Saudi pocket – not from TV or occasions. Therefore, it’s maybe comprehensible that many across the sport are skeptical, and reserving judgment, ready to see what truly occurs right here. As former UCI President Brian Cookson commented, considerably wearily, “right here we go once more.”

The place does this depart the UCI?

Complementing our look final week on the particular person factors rating for 2023, our sister publication – the Past the Peloton publication – printed a breakdown and evaluation of the ultimate groups level rating, highlighting a number of fascinating traits behind the numbers. The highest takeaway was that – regardless of successful the UCI factors rankings – UAE Crew Emirates didn’t preserve tempo with Jumbo-Visma by way of the quantity and high quality of wins; i.e., UAE might have gained the factors competitors however Jumbo was clearly one of the best group. Curiously, when the ultimate 2023 factors standings had been cross-referenced with BTP’s points-based pre-season efficiency predictions, the highest groups – UAE, Jumbo, Soudal-Fast-Step, and Ineos – all carried out roughly as predicted. Even the yr’s worst WorldTour group, Astana, barely outperformed their prediction based mostly upon pre-season roster power. Bora-Hansgrohe, nonetheless, which completed a respective tenth within the rankings, was one of many greater underperformers of the season, given an absence of constant performances from their greatest stars. This lack of a singular star rider, who can reliably accumulate factors and wins, most likely helps clarify their determination to roll the cube on signing 34-year-old Primož Roglič to an costly multi-year contract.

BORA-hansgrohe wanted Primož Roglič

Over the weekend, Movistar introduced that they’d signed a contract with Nairo Quintana, ending the Colombian climber’s year-long hiatus from the game. His prior Arkéa-Samsic group launched him after final yr’s Tour following a optimistic take a look at for Tramadol, and he failed to search out one other group keen to select him up. (On the time, the painkiller was prohibited by the UCI, however was not on the WADA banned listing.) Many followers, significantly in South America, can be completely satisfied to see such a recognizable face again within the peloton – particularly after he appeared to be considerably unfairly blackballed. Nonetheless, it’s unusual to see Quintana return to Movistar – which he left after a number of public disagreements over his management standing – and it seems like a determined transfer by the Spanish group. As the game’s high stars tilt youthful, and the largest races are more and more gained by youthful legs (solely a single race amongst biking’s 5 Monuments, World Championships, and three Grand Excursions had been gained by a rider over 30-years-old in 2023), it’s considerably baffling to see Movistar go after a veteran coming off a year-long hiatus, no matter what they’re paying him. The group’s improvement technique has not been clear lately, and it appears odd that they’d herald an older rider on the expense of specializing in creating in-house expertise or mining the junior ranks. It’s additionally not clear how Quintana and Enric Mas would possibly share GC management obligations. If the group, which is presently in twelfth place within the UCI’s 2023-2025 relegation rankings, falls into one more relegation battle through the 2025 season, we might look again at this determination as a significant turning level.

Nairo Quintana again within the WorldTour

We lately examined how the UCI World Championships (WCs) in Glasgow went almost $10 million over funds. The determine is considerably larger when accounting for a $6.3 million emergency allocation and the truth that native counties needed to make investments hundreds of thousands in street and infrastructure enhancements past what was within the unique funds. The UCI highlighted Glasgow’s optimistic broadcast attain in a “press launch” (through X), touting the occasion’s viewership successes – and its 200 million “viewing hours” bode nicely when put next in opposition to the game’s total flat efficiency because the Armstrong period’s excessive factors. Nonetheless, the numbers weaken when contemplating that the viewing determine doesn’t differentiate “attain” impressions ‒ for instance, when somebody sees the race in a information report for a minute or so ‒ versus these viewers who truly hunt down and watch the race. And there’s nonetheless an enormous distribution downside, as stay racing was solely broadcast in choose markets.

The Glasgow World champs had been widespread, however…

On this mild, Glasgow’s marginal viewership beneficial properties and monetary losses embody the paradox of internet hosting a significant worldwide sporting occasion. The Olympics, numerous World Championships, and stadium/group internet hosting investments are large bets by way of long-term financial development and reinvestment in a bunch location. On a macro stage such internet hosting endeavors represent a grasp class in sports activities enterprise failure; the Olympics debt phenomenon is exceptional in that the final Video games to show a revenue was Los Angeles in 1984. UCI-hosted occasions have usually completed within the pink, and even bankrupted the partner-nation’s internet hosting group. So, whereas Glasgow viewership was encouraging, its cost-per-viewer was far too excessive when one realizes how far over funds the version went. This can be a warning signal for sponsors who perceive the metrics, and who demand sturdy and verifiable content material distribution outcomes to justify an funding in biking. As has been prompt for future Olympics, we might invite UCI stakeholders to revisit our proposal to centrally host future World Championships at present biking monument websites – which might assist and draw followers into the storied venues and historical past of our sport – and extra fastidiously consider, place, and stage new World Championship venues ‒ maybe solely each 4 or 5 years — the place they may have essentially the most impression on biking’s future.

Would you need to host the Worlds?

– You’ll be able to meet up with Professional Biking and the World of Sports activities – with Evaluation, Perception and Reflections from THE OUTER LINE. –

Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly publication to obtain updates and reminders on what’s cool in street biking?