Arab money makes the competition unbalanced, says Prudhomme: "That's an understatement"

The substantial financial differences in cycling have generated quite a debate. Some teams want a fairer playing field and are demanding a maximum budget. The UCI is now investigating the options. Tour boss Christian Prudhomme sees that Middle Eastern sponsors have changed the playing field. He is not reluctant to change the rules.

French teams complain of unfair competition, and Prudhomme also sees that they do not have the resources to rise to the top. "Having big sponsors may also be what the French teams lack," he says in an interview with Midi Libre. "A study is being conducted by the UCI, with the organizers and the teams, about the possibility of a maximum budget. Because the money comes mainly from Arab countries, the competition is a bit unbalanced. To say that is an understatement."

Thanks partly to its financial thrust, UAE Team Emirates succeeded in creating a super team that was by far the best in 2024. However, the Frenchman believes that the dominance of the team and leader, Tadej Pogacar, does not create an uninteresting sport. "We have been lucky enough to enjoy attacks from a long distance for four or five years. Look at Thibaut Pinot and Julian Alaphilippe... And later, there were Wout van Aert, Mathieu van Der Poel, Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel; you name it." Recently, Prudhomme did claim to understand the suspicion surrounding Pogacar's dominance.

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Tadej Pogacar, rightfully the king of the long-distance attack.

Pogacar is a breath of fresh air: "I wasn't a fan of the Sky era"

The Tour boss remembers how their team dragged Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome over the mountains only to finish the trick in the final kilometer. "I was not a fan of the Sky era, where it was completely locked, and they didn't attack until 800 meters from the finish." The offensive in the near past gives Prudhomme hope for next year's Tour. "Two years ago, we had a fantastic Tour; last year, we had an exceptional one for half the race. I just hope that next year, everyone can compete at full power."

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