Two hundred days have passed since the election of David Lappartient as president of the International Cycling Union (UCI). The French leader, successor to the British Brian Cookson, understood the role and the task to be accomplished. Above all, he has established the order of his priorities as the new boss of world cycling. High on the list is a more offensive trade policy. He explained it to FrancsJeux on the occasion of SportAccord, organized from April 15 to 20 in Bangkok.
FrancsJeux: You recently explained to Team that cycling remained “economically a small sport”. What did you mean?
David Lappartient: Cycling audiences on television are exceptional. The Tour de France brings together 12 million people to the side of the road each year. No other sport achieves such a result. However, the economic weight of the bicycle remains low. It is estimated between 600 and 700 million dollars. The combined budget of all professional road cycling teams amounts to just 400 million euros. Economically, we are still small.
Why?
The major decision-makers in the economic world know little about us. They misunderstand cycling. Nicolas Sarkozy pointed this out to me during an evening at the Elysée in 2011, where he received French Tour riders. For him, the big bosses prefer to keep to themselves in the sports that are familiar to them. They are wrong, because cycling is a great opportunity. It is surely the sport which today displays the greatest potential for economic development.
You mention road cycling. But how are the other disciplines doing?
I am convinced that the track has enormous telegenic potential, subject to reviewing the format of the events. Today, it functions a bit like the public service, mainly supported by the national federations. But at the London Games in 2012, the organizers recorded 183.000 requests for tickets for individual speed, for less than 5.000 places available at the velodrome. Mountain biking, for its part, is supported by a real industry. Discipline has long cost money, it is starting to bring in money. The best runners earn a very decent living.
How do you plan to transform cycling economically?
The priority is to bring together all the stakeholders in order to align themselves behind a common vision. We must bring together a more salable product. To do this, we will have to better organize our calendar, offer better TV production, work on the creation of a common digital platform... Today, each race sells its television rights itself. By bringing them together in a broader offer, we will be able to significantly increase their amounts.
Could the Tour de France be affected?
No. Firstly, we could start by marketing the rights to one-day races in a single offer.
Financially, how is the UCI doing?
She is doing well. Its reserves today amount to 40 million euros. They allow us to invest in development. I see among our partners a desire to work with the UCI. Some have been with us for a long time, like Tissot, others are arriving. Mercedes-Benz, for example, joined us last year.
Is it realistic to consider a common digital platform for all components of global cycling?
Not today. The players are not yet ready, nor are the commercial and technical conditions. But we are working on it. And there is a common desire to move forward with us in this direction. The objective is to offer this unique platform in 2020. It would be displayed under the UCI banner.
