It’s no secret that Visma-Lease a Bike CEO Richard Plugge has long been opposed to the current business model of professional cycling, but as he continues to advocate for financial reform into 2026, the Dutchman has called for more urgency amid a “downward spiral” for the sport.
Plugge revolutionised what was left of the doping-blemished Rabobank team when he took over as manager in 2012 and built them into the Visma-Lease a Bike success story of today. He wants a similar story to be true for cycling as a whole, taking inspiration from other sports, with the hope that cycling doesn’t get left behind in the next decade.
Speaking at Visma’s media day in La Nucia on Tuesday, Plugge was steadfast in his position that the UCI – cycling’s governing body – has to act soon, especially given the context of more and more teams struggling at the end of each season.
“Of course [there are practical changes we can make], but it’s up to the UCI to change the business model, and maybe look to the example of the Formula 1, or Moto GP, or –there are so many examples which are better than what we have in cycling.”
“You need to make sure that cycling stays one of the top five sports in the world. That’s the whole issue, and now apparently we are losing eyeballs to other sports. We are fighting with each other in cycling, while we should fight with football and other sports – that’s how I look at it.”
Budget concerns for everyone
Cycling teams are still almost entirely reliant on sponsorship money for their existence, and even with big brands such as Lidl, Decathlon and Red Bull joining up with projects in recent years, the…
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