'Those companies that do make a profit, specifically ASO, aren't going to share it with the teams, as previous attempts to reform pro road cycling have shown. In fact most races are struggling to cover their costs,' former UCI president Brian Cookson wrote on social media platform X on Thursday. 'Outside of the 3 Grand Tours and a small handful of one-day races, there are no profits from organising bike races. The reason, some believe, is that any plan that would not include the Tour de France is seen as doomed to fail. Eight teams founded a league project called World Series Cycling (WSC) at the end of 2012 but the plans failed to materialise. This is not the first time cycling teams have explored a new cycling league project. The only way to get there, is cooperation.'Īmaury Sports Organisation (ASO) controls the Tour de France and La Vuelta while the Giro d'Italia is controlled by RCS Sports.Īny deal would follow a trend in other global sports such as golf and tennis, where investors have poured in new capital and attracted players and clubs to compete with the older, established events. 'For all the stakeholders, but especially for the World Tour (top) teams.
