Saudi PIF Plans Cycling Champions League

Hold onto your handlebars, folks, because cycling might be in for a wild ride, and I’m not talking about those hairpin turns in the Alps. Get this: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is supposedly cooking up plans for a Champions League-style cycling series that could give the current cycling calendar a serious run for its money. No, seriously, they’ve got a big idea to pedal their way into the pro cycling scene.

The masterminds behind this scheme call themselves “One Cycling,” and they’ve got some heavy hitters in their corner. Picture Jumbo-Visma CEO Richard Plugge and Zdenek Bakala, the brains behind Soudal-QuickStep. If that’s not enough, they’ve got big teams like Ineos Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek allegedly on board. It’s like the Avengers of cycling, but instead of saving the world, they’re shaking up the peloton.

But hold your horses, because not everyone is doing cartwheels over this. The whole Saudi-backed league thing has folks worried about the future of pro cycling. It’s like the cycling world is at a crossroads, and no one’s sure which path to take.

So, what’s the plan? Well, details are sketchy, like trying to navigate through thick fog. Apparently, they’re aiming for a ‘Champions League’ format, and they want this cycling spectacle to kick off by 2026. Imagine a points system, a racing extravaganza, and a calendar that’s as tightly packed as a peloton in a sprint finish.

Jonathan Vaughters, the mastermind behind EF Education-EasyPost, spilled the beans. They’re thinking of tweaking the existing races, working with ASO, the folks who control Tour de France and other big races. But, and it’s a big but, ASO might not be all in. It’s like convincing a cat to take a bath—tricky business.

Now, the big idea is to divvy up the TV rights profits among the teams. So, it’s like, “Hey, we’re pedaling, we’re sweating, we’re putting on a show; where’s our cut?” It’s like turning cycling into a business, but not everyone’s sold on the idea. Richard Plugge says it’s about making sure the sport stays in good shape, preventing teams from going bankrupt like Jumbo-Visma almost did.

But hey, there’s dissent in the ranks. Some cyclists and fans are saying, “Hold up, we like our calendar just fine. We like choosing between races, and we don’t need a cycling version of a Champions League.” It’s like messing with a good recipe, you know?

And then there’s the elephant in the room—or should I say, the oil barrel—the whole Saudi involvement. Now, the UCI seems to be on board, but is accepting oil money a slippery slope? Brian Cookson, the ex-UCI president, thinks this could mean fans paying more to watch races. So, it’s like, do you want a piece of the Saudi oil pie, or do you want to keep the spirit of cycling alive?

Plus, there are questions about what this means for women’s cycling. Is there a women’s circuit in the works, or are they left in the dust? And with all this talk of money and a new league, what about the smaller teams, the underdogs of the cycling world? Are they left out in the cold?

So many questions, so few answers. It’s like the cycling world is gearing up for a race, but nobody knows where the finish line is. Whether it’s a game-changer or a spoke in the wheel, only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure, folks, the cycling drama just got a serious plot twist. Pedal on, my friends, pedal on.