Cycling’s financial landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation since the Covid-19 pandemic, with significant changes in team budgets and the influence of money on the peloton. Iwan Spekenbrink, the manager of the Picnic PostNL team, formerly known as dsm-firmenich PostNL, highlighted the growing disparity in financial resources among WorldTour teams in an interview with Dutch outlet Wielerflits.
Spekenbrink, who has been with the team since 2021, expressed concern over the “bizarre amounts” of money flowing into the sport, particularly from the Middle East. Cycling has changed in many ways since Covid,” he explained. “A lot of money has been added, especially from the Middle East. As a result, some budgets have exploded.”
Teams like UAE Emirates, backed by vast financial resources, exemplify how the sport is now dominated by entities with near-limitless funding. Spekenbrink acknowledged the reality of competing against such well-funded teams but emphasized that the challenge lies in how smaller teams can still achieve success on the road.
“You are actually competing with entire countries,” he noted. “However, we should not complain about that, because that is simply the reality. The challenge for us is how we can be successful against these teams.”
The financial changes have trickled down even to young riders, with some juniors earning salaries that were once reserved for those already established in the sport. Spekenbrink criticized the growing pay disparity, saying, “It is extreme what some young boys are paid. Amounts that you used to only get paid if you had already been successful in the big tours are now being paid to juniors.”
Despite the growing influence of money, Spekenbrink emphasized that financial success does not guarantee happiness or success for every rider. He pointed out that big-budget teams may not always be the right environment for every talent. “Not every talent fits within the working methods of those teams,” he said. “It is also about the opportunities that young riders get and the training program that you offer them.”
Spekenbrink also defended his team’s ability to nurture young talent, asserting that Picnic PostNL’s development program is just as effective as those offered by wealthier teams. “We have shown that we can develop young riders well. In that respect, we are certainly not inferior to those teams. In fact, I think we still do this better.”
Ultimately, Spekenbrink reminded the cycling world that, while financial resources play a role, it is the skill and determination of riders that decide the outcome of races. “Of course money is a factor. However, at the moment a race starts, you have opportunities,” he concluded.
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