Managing the globalisation of professional cycling
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The final Tour of Qatar stage(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The peloton pass the Great Wall of China during the Tour of Beijing(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Andy Schleck making friends in China at the Tour of Beijing(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
The 2015 Dubai Tour teams(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The spectator came out to watch the Dubai Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Beware of the kangaroos, guys(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Professional cycling has increasingly become a globalised sport in recent years with the peloton racing in Australia, China, the middle east and North America. All geographically distant from the European heartland of cycling. While these new frontiers reflect the growth of cycling across the globe, it's also a sign of the sport following the money trail. For example in 2015, the second edition of the Dubai Tour made more money than the start of the Giro d'Italia which celebrated its 98th birthday.
The expansion of the sport isn't without its issues though with races such as the Tour of Beijing failing to take off and meeting an early exit from the calendar after just four editions. The heat of Oman and Qatar in February was a cause of consternation earlier this year for the riders with exploding tyres and sand storms two examples of why riders are recalcitrant to embrace new races whole heartedly.
In this video, the inCycle panellists discuss the pros and cons of the recent expansion of the cycling calendar and express their thoughts on how the globalisation of the sport can be managed.
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