The Tour of Oman has barely completed its 12e edition, Wednesday February 15, that the 120 runners are already prancing in their toe clips in the running for the fifth Tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE Tour) which must start in the desert on February 20. Thousands of kilometers away, another peloton will then be on the track since the day before, on the fifteenth Tour of Rwanda.
This is how cycling is going in 2023, with the start of the year signaling its globalization at work, in rebound on several continents. The International Cycling Union (UCI) World Tour, which brings together the 35 most prestigious events on the calendar, begins in January with a stay in Australia on the Tour Down Under and ends with a trip to China in October, with the Tour of Guangxi, canceled by the Covid for the past three years and still uncertain for 2023. In between, the peloton criss-crosses European roads in spring and summer, but still visits the Middle East with the UAE Tour, and Canada in September.
This program is not enough to account for the ongoing globalization of cycling. At the lower echelons – ProSeries (Second Division) and others – the Tour of San Juan Province in Argentina, the Tour of Oman, the Saudi Tour in Saudi Arabia, the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Africa, the Tour of Langwaki in Malaysia and many others confirm the internationalization of the little queen. “Ten years ago, we counted 85% of our races in Europe, and today 69.5%, without any reduction in competitions on the Old Continent”indicates David Lappartient, the president of the UCI.
The Americas orphaned by a great race
The authority continues this enlargement of the audience of the discipline with ups and downs. At the end of the 2010s, the leaders of the peloton could test their pedal stroke on the Tour of Turkey or California, before organizational problems downgraded the first and economic concerns caused the second to disappear.
The United States and South America, although two great reservoirs of champions, are still orphans of a great race. “Question of cost, essentially. In the United States, the costs of securing roads and policing are so enormous that no stage race really emerges”regrets David Lappartient.
To find investors willing to bet on cycling, you have to head for the Middle East instead. The Gulf countries climbed into the saddle one after the other. “Oman thus uses sport to develop the image of a tourist country by betting especially on sailing and cyclingexplains researcher Raphaël Le Magoariec, a specialist in the Arabian Peninsula. The Tour of Oman is a postcard for those in charge wanting to promote sport-nature. Saudi Arabia is inspired by this with its recent Saudi Tour. But it’s more about developing cycling than competitive practice, even if a few cycling clubs are starting to emerge, often under the impetus of Western expatriates..
If racing flourishes in the Middle East, it is because there is a convergence of interests, which the researcher underlines: “Money makes the difference here, with state policies in very wealthy countries that meet the UCI’s desire to extend its discipline and European organizers that open up new markets. » Oman and Saudi Arabia benefit from the expertise of Amaury Sport Organisation, organizer of the Tour de France; the United Arab Emirates are advised by RCS Sport, the company in charge of the Tour of Italy.
The teams, for their part, do not need to be asked to pedal between the dunes. “It must be said that these countries offer very favorable conditionsadvances without language of wood Cédric Vasseur, the manager of the Cofidis team. The change of scenery is guaranteed, we can evolve under 25°C in the heart of our winter, and everything being taken care of, we lose less money than on certain European races! »
Bonus for sponsors
For sponsors, globalization is also a godsend. “For Cofidis, with activities in 9 countries, displaying its colors all over the world is interesting”, continues Cédric Vasseur. This international dimension also factored into Total’s decision to take over the Direct Energie team in 2019, renaming it TotalEnergies. Especially since the formation was a great regular at races in Africa.
“This allows us to carry out special operations with our local networks, as in Gabon where Total is very presentspecifies Martin Bertran, director of sports sponsorship for the oil company. For the first time this year, we will send a cameraman to follow our team on site and show behind the scenes of the race. »
On the African races, the manager of the TotalEnergies team, Jean-René Bernaudeau, enjoys himself, and not only because his troops are reaping good results, as on the last Tropicale in Gabon carried off by his formation for the ninth time. “Part of the future of cycling is being played out therehe says. In Gabon, in Rwanda, there is a real culture of cycling, it’s won. Other emerging countries, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya. Excellent runners arrive, like Biniam Girmay. »
The Eritrean of the Belgian team Intermarché-Circus-Wanty exploded in 2022 by winning the Flemish classic Ghent-Wevelgem and by offering himself the 10e stage of the Giro, becoming the first African to win a stage in a Grand Tour.
Old Europe, “nerve center”
It is no coincidence that the UCI has entrusted the organization of its world championship in 2025 to Rwanda. “We are going to help train twenty athletes, ten women and ten men, to participate in these Worlds which reflect the evolution of this continent.supports David Lappartient. At the beginning of the century, the UCI had only 16 registered federations in Africa. They are 54 today. And women’s cycling is also starting to break through. » The women’s Tour of Burundi was a pioneer on the continent in 2021, renewed in 2022. The Middle East also opened up to champions for the first time this year with the women’s UAE Tour which has just ended in the Arab Emirates United.
“Old Europe remains the nerve center of cycling, but it’s good to open up and not always take yourself for the center of the worldcomments Marc Madiot, manager of the Groupama-FDJ team. I find the current calendar rather balanced. » However, there is talk of modifying it by 2026. For ever more globalization?
“We especially want to avoid that certain major races overlapassures David Lappartient, even if we would like to visit one more continent in the World Tour, for example South America. An evolution more than a revolution, because there is no question of the teams constantly traveling to the four corners of the planet. Develop yes, but in a reasoned way. »
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A Charter for Climate Action adopted in 2022
In 2022, the UCI counted 1,797 races in Europe on its international calendar, 414 in the Americas, 237 in Asia, 68 in Africa and 66 in Oceania.
Eighteen teams make up the cycling elite (WorldTeam). For the 2023 season, the countries represented are France (4 teams, AG2R Citroën Team, Cofidis, Arkéa-Samsic, Groupama-FDJ), Belgium (3), the United States (2), the Netherlands (2 ), and, with a single formation, Germany, Australia, Bahrain, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Great Britain and Kazakhstan.
Adopted in September 2022, the UCI’s Charter for Climate Action sets out eight commitments for its 80 signatories, including the systematic measurement of the carbon footprint and the establishment of balance sheets by 2024, the priority given to low-emission transport and the reduction of consumption.
