Will we see Van der Poel on another team? The new economic challenge of cycling

The cycling bubble is inflating more and more every year. Teams are forced to increase their budgets for each new season, not only to improve and get closer to the super teams fueled by petrodollars or trendy energy drinks, but simply to be able to stay in the middle class and to be able to bring in some reinforcements to give solidity to their sporting project. A situation that, according to the popular website Cycling Weekly, may have worsened in 2025 with many teams desperately seeking sponsors just to survive.

The cycling bubble and its skyrocketing budgets could be on the verge of bursting

It is well known that cycling is becoming increasingly expensive for teams, and despite this, measures have not been put in place to contain the escalation of budgets that threaten to make many structures' projects unviable year after year.

The big super teams like UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Visma-Lease a Bike, INEOS Grenadiers, or Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe are accused of fueling this budget escalation, and even they have found the need to incorporate secondary sponsors to maintain their privileged position, with XRG joining the Emirati team, TotalEnergies joining the British team, or the return of a historic sponsor like Rabobank reinforcing Jonas Vingegaard's squad.

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For them, it's a matter of status, but for more modest teams, it becomes a survival race in recent seasons with the aim of finding new economic contributions to cover the increasing costs, both organizational and necessary to cover the cost of cyclists.

A clear example is Arkéa-Samsic, which, according to reports, seems destined to disappear at the end of the season when they lose their World Tour category, reducing their income options.

Another team that could be in serious trouble, despite being one of the most successful blocks in the current scene, is Alpecin-Deceuninck, as Deceuninck ends its collaboration with the team at the end of the current season. This situation would leave the Belgian squad in a critical situation, especially considering the costs of supporting one of the best current riders like Mathieu van der Poel.

A good example of what could happen to them is the case of another Belgian team like Lotto, with the oldest current sponsor in professional cycling, and also the Belgian Intermarché-Wanty team, which are rumored to be considering a merger to increase the potential of the resulting squad and put an end to the economic difficulties they both face.

On the other hand, in a world where there will always be rich and poor, other teams have managed to secure the right sponsors and currently enjoy a tranquility that allows them to dream of higher goals. The best example of this is Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, which, after AG2R's departure, has found a replacement in the powerful shipping company CMA CGM, allowing them to double their budget with the aspiration of, in the medium term, returning a French cyclist to the top of the Tour de France podium.

Other teams like Bahrain-Victorious, thanks to the petrodollars of this Arab country, or Lidl-Trek, after the well-known supermarket chain significantly increased the budget of the American team and added a balanced roster that allows them to shine throughout the season, also enjoy an economic respite.

However, as Cofidis manager and former cyclist Cédric Vasseur stated, "The fact that 15 Tour de France teams are looking for sponsors only means that we are trying to increase our budget," indicating that in many cases it is not a desperate search but the only option to improve and be able to hire better cyclists or have more resources.

"Of course, we all want a bigger budget, but I don't think the economic situation allows it. It shouldn't be possible for 15 teams to seek an increase in their budget in one year. I think maybe cycling is pushing too hard," concluded the Cofidis leader.

Although cycling offers tremendous advertising returns due to the many hours of television coverage it guarantees, it is reaching a point where it is being asked for contributions that are beginning to approach those of football clubs or F1 teams, causing many companies to think twice before investing in sponsoring cycling.

This once again highlights the need to establish budgetary containment measures, as already exist in these sports, to prevent this crazy budget escalation before it becomes a bubble that bursts and leads to the disappearance of many teams. However, all eyes are on the UCI regarding the establishment of budget limits, with the cycling governing body seeming, for now, unwilling to address a problem that could soon spiral out of control.