Two of pro cycling’s richest men – team owners Ivan Glasenberg and Zdeněk Bakala – have come together with other influential figures to launch the sport’s latest attempt at economic reform, sources with direct knowledge of the plan told Escape Collective.
Just months after the International Cycling Union (UCI) roundly rejected the much talked-about One Cycling project, claiming it was "incompatible" with the WorldTour and “lacked sporting coherence," a new project is in the early stages of being formed.
Chris Marshall-Bell
Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the new plans, who spoke to Escape Collective on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that discussions between various team owners have accelerated in the past few months. The initiative is still very much in its developmental stage, with work on the business model still in process, but Pinarello-Q36.5's Glasenberg and Soudal-Quick Step's Bakala are said to be two of the primary people involved.
Asked last week by Escape about the current status of reform plans, Soudal-Quick Step CEO Jurgen Foré didn't expressly confirm the project, but hinted at the discussions that have been taking place behind the scenes for the past few months.
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