Wout van Aert weighs in on cycling’s ‘fragile’ finances

As Wout van Aert’s training resumes, the Visma–Lease a Bike rider is looking at the broader landscape and doesn’t like what he sees. In an interview with De Tijd, he says he’s increasingly worried about “how fragile our sport is,” pointing to the financial pressure behind moves like the planned merger of Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty, which he describes as a union born of necessity.

Van Aert argues that cycling’s over-reliance on outside sponsors leaves even major teams exposed. The sport, he says, needs revenue that comes from the sport itself. He points to TV rights and event-driven income as obvious places to start. Drawing a comparison with the NBA, he notes how the league controls its product while still ensuring teams share in the broadcast money. Cycling, he suggests, could learn from that model. (Speaking of the NBA, did you catch van Aert learning how to do free throws with Reggie Miller on a recent trip to the U.S.? Worth a watch.)

New ideas are needed

Part of the solution, he believes, is rethinking the long-held idea that charging spectators somehow undermines cycling’s identity. “We might be a little too focused on the charm and the folk aspect,” he said. Asking a modest entry fee doesn’t make an event less accessible, he argued. Cyclocross already charges at the gate and remains one of the most grassroots corners of the sport.

The conversation about ticketing fans for road events was revisited a few weeks ago by former pro Jerôme Pineau. He proposed on RMC Sport’s Grand Plateau podcast that spectators could be charged to access the upper slopes during the 2026 Tour de France.

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“I’m going to shock some people. But they’ve created a route that will go up Alpe d’Huez twice. So let’s privatize the last five km,” Pineau suggested. “Let’s charge admission! Let’s have VIPs, let’s create something to make money!”

Although the ASO does charge for VIP tents at certain races–like Paris – Roubaix, ticketing on a mountain stage has not happened. And according to the UCI’s David Lappartient, it’s not on the radar.

ROI from races

But Van Aert also questions why the riders and teams themselves don’t see a meaningful return from their participation in marquee races. Big events such as the Tour de France and the Tour of Flanders, he says, “stand or fall with the riders and the teams who show up,” yet teams still don’t receive enough…