THEMOVE+ Podcast Summary

Episode: What Happened to One Cycling?

Host: Spencer Martin (filling in for Lance Armstrong)
Guest: Johan Bruyneel
Date: November 14, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the elusive One Cycling project, an ambitious initiative aimed at restructuring and unifying professional road cycling. Spencer Martin and Johan Bruyneel break down the current state of One Cycling, debate its prospects, and reflect on larger challenges within the sport—including financial instability, management issues, the influence of dominant organizations like the UCI and ASO, and the perennial struggles of team sponsorship. The conversation also touches on recent sponsorship shakeups, the shifting cycling calendar, and the viability of various reforms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is "One Cycling"?

• Purpose: A proposed unifying body designed to increase revenue and streamline road cycling by pooling resources, optimizing race calendars, and redistributing profits more equitably among stakeholders—mainly teams and organizers.
• Saudi Backing: The project remains alive, largely due to commitment from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and its Surge subsidiary, with “indefinite amounts of money” potentially fueling the endeavor.

  Johan Bruyneel [04:52]: “Somebody close to the project confirmed...the Saudis are very determined to make it happen. This is going to happen, in one way or another.”

2. Barriers to Change in Pro Cycling

• Authority Dependency:
  • Road racing depends on public roads and thus requires government cooperation. Federations, like the UCI, serve as gatekeepers.

    Bruyneel [00:00]: “Since you are on open roads...authorities only deal with other authorities. Federations.”

  • Off-road disciplines (e.g., gravel, cyclocross, MTB) don’t need such oversight and remain more independent.
• Team Fragmentation:
  • Historically, team rivalry, mistrust, and differing interests undermine collective bargaining, making unified action difficult.
  • Organizers (ASO/UCI) exploit this division, maintaining control.

    Bruyneel [05:24]: “If it’s the teams who have to be in the driving seat, it’s not going to happen. There’s too much different interest, too much rivalry, too much lack of trust...UCI and ASO have always played with that.”

3. What Would One Cycling Look Like?

• Revenue Model:
  • Goal: Raise total revenue, keep ASO earnings stable or rising, and share any increase with teams and other stakeholders.

    Bruyneel [09:35]: “The main principle is to increase the revenue...and whatever is on top of it gets divided amongst...the teams.”

• Calendar/Format Changes:
  • Aim for a season with regular showdowns among top riders, making the narrative easier to follow and marketable to a broader audience.

    Bruyneel [10:22]: “The idea is to really have the best riders in the best races always racing against each other. It comes down to that.”

  • Parallel drawn to Lifetime’s Grand Prix in gravel: season-long points, clear stars, digestible narrative ([11:22]).

4. Why Isn’t Cycling More Commercialized?

• Sporting Event Comparison:
  • Tour de France remains notably uncommoditized — both blessing (unique, accessible) and curse (missed revenue opportunities).

    Martin [15:32]: “If you went to every major world sporting event and then went to the Tour de France, you’d say this is the least commodified…which is charming but...”

  • Other races, like Tour of Flanders, show it’s possible to boost revenues with creative changes (e.g., paid access to key climbs, local laps) without ruining the event’s identity ([16:20]-[17:13]):

    Bruyneel [17:09]: “Walter had the guts to push forward and it’s amazing what he did...It can be done, and Tour de Flanders is the example.”

5. The Role and Limits of the UCI/ASO

• Who Holds the Power?
  • ASO (Tour de France) has the real leverage. If forced to choose, teams and sponsors side with ASO over the UCI.

    Bruyneel [20:21]: “ASO could perfectly function without the UCI...If today you have two choices—UCI or ASO—99% are going to side with ASO.”

6. Financial Fragility and Sponsorship Crisis

• Team Vulnerability:
  • Teams struggle with short-term sponsorship cycles, frequent financial peril, and lack of leverage compared to powerful event organizers.

  Bruyneel [06:20]: “No matter how strong Visma is right now, they are constantly struggling to survive because they need to renew every two, three years...They are vulnerable and fragile.”

• Recent Sponsorship Turmoil:
  • Premier Tech’s abrupt exit from Israel-Premier Tech.
  • Factor Bikes potentially following suit due to business, not ethics.
  • Premier Tech strongly rumored to replace or join Alpecin-Deceuninck—potential for three title sponsors ([38:03]-[39:00]).

    Bruyneel [40:01]: “Which shows you the vulnerability of the sport...everybody is always desperate for another sponsor.”

7. Financial Controls & Salary Cap Debate

• UCI Proposal:
  • UCI President David Lappartient claims he proposed a team budget cap, but smaller teams rejected it.
  • Legal obstacles and questions of practicality.

    Bruyneel [22:41]: “We don’t know. I will investigate...the budget cap. I don’t know if cycling’s ready for this...Cycling right now...is financially not ready and not abundant enough financially to increase the salary cap.”

8. Listener Q&As & Other News

• Visma’s Funding and Roster Turnover:
  • Visma losing key riders due to budget limits, evidence even the top teams face financial headwinds ([41:04]-[41:33]).
• Jonas Vingegaard’s Grand Tour Plans:
  • Debate over targeting Giro-Tour double versus focusing solely on the Tour, both for personal palmares and to dodge Pogacar supremacy ([43:33]-[47:42]).

    Bruyneel [44:42]: “My answer is yes, he can win the Giro and finish second [in the Tour].”

• Discussion on all-time greats:
  • Pushback on Roger De Vlaeminck’s dismissive comments toward Pogacar ([49:24]-[53:25]).
• Matteo Jorgenson’s Prospects:
  • Potential for Grand Tour podiums, especially at Giro/Vuelta, but likely blocked from Tour leadership due to Visma’s pecking order ([54:24]-[56:46]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On One Cycling’s Saudi backers:

  Bruyneel [04:52]: “He talked to me about indefinite amount of money they’re ready to throw against it...this is going to happen in one way or another.”

• On Team Unity:

  Bruyneel [05:27]: “If it’s the teams who have to be in the driving seat, it’s not going to happen...lack of trust amongst the teams. And that’s exactly what the strong parties like UCI and ASO have always played with.”

• On transforming cycling into a proper business:

  Bruyneel [17:10]: “It’s so much better now…[Tour of Flanders] can be run as a profitable business.”

• On ASO vs UCI:

  Bruyneel [20:21]: “If today…you have to choose between UCI or ASO…99% of everybody’s going to side with ASO.”

• On the tough business reality for teams:

  Bruyneel [40:01]: “Which shows you the vulnerability of the sport...everybody is always desperate for another sponsor.”

• On Grand Tour legends and cycling history:

  Bruyneel [49:24]: “[Roger De Vlaeminck] said Pogacar doesn’t even reach the heels or ankles of Eddy Merckx, which is absolutely not true. He is getting up there.”

• On Jonas Vingegaard targeting the Giro-Tour double:

  Bruyneel [44:49]: “My answer is yes, he can win the Giro and finish second [in the Tour].”

Important Segment Timestamps

• [04:52] – One Cycling’s real status & Saudi involvement
• [09:17] – Visualizing the format of One Cycling
• [10:22] – Unification & simplification of the cycling calendar
• [16:20] – Why Tour de France isn’t commodified
• [17:09] – The Tour of Flanders business model as a case study
• [20:21] – ASO’s control over the sport
• [22:41] – UCI proposal and salary cap debate
• [33:45]–[40:11] – Team sponsorship turmoil (Premier Tech, Factor, Alpecin-Deceuninck)
• [41:04] – Visma’s funding/wage issues & star rider exits
• [43:33] – Vingegaard’s Grand Tour strategy (Giro-Tour double)
• [49:24] – Roger De Vlaeminck’s critique of Pogacar
• [54:24] – Matteo Jorgenson’s trajectory and role on Visma

Tone and Style

The conversation is candid, direct, and laced with insider banter, offering a high level of detail seasoned with irreverent humor and cycling-lifer perspective. Bruyneel is both blunt and analytical; Martin matches him with quick wit and sharp questions. The pair trade anecdotes and often break the fourth wall, inviting the audience to think critically about cycling’s inner machinations.

Final Thoughts

This episode provides a deep-dive insider’s view of why meaningful transformation in professional cycling is difficult—fraught with organizational stasis, divided interests, financial precarity, and occasionally, entrenched egos. Nevertheless, the specter of “One Cycling,” fueled by Saudi investment, continues to hover, suggesting a future where the sport’s long-standing inefficiencies might finally be forced into reform—provided enough clout and cash can overcome the inertia.

For listeners seeking to understand the shifting power structures and business challenges at cycling’s top tier—or simply eager to hear forthright takes from two of the sport’s sharpest minds—this episode delivers on all fronts.