"Within ten years, the Tour de France will be in Saudi hands," predicts Johan Bruyneel, who also criticizes the UCI over rider safety

The Tour de France will be owned by Saudi Arabia within the next decade, according to Johan Bruyneel. The Belgian made this statement on the TheMove podcast, which he co-hosts with Lance Armstrong. The topic came up as the two discussed the first stage of the Volta ao Algarve, where most of the peloton took a wrong turn in the final kilometers, leading to the entire stage classification being annulled.

"Everyone should have been given the same time so that nobody lost their opportunity. But Ganna and ten to twenty other riders took the correct route, while the rest made a mistake. He should have just been awarded the victory," Bruyneel argued.

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The bizarre moment in the first stage of the Tour of the Algarve

Riders must know the course according to the rules 

Some blamed the race organizers for the confusion, arguing that the road should have been closed off. However, the UCI, race officials, and organizers placed the blame on the riders. "Technically, they’re right, because according to the rules, riders must know the course," said the former US Postal team director.

The finish should never have been designed this way, says the Belgian. "The bizarre thing is that the Lotto team actually scouted the finish the day before," he points out. One of their riders was the first to take the wrong turn, and then almost the entire peloton followed. "They knew that the correct side was on the left. With all the technology available today, riders know every detail of a finish. And yet, they still went the wrong way in large numbers. It just proves once again: when you’re going full gas, you go where there’s space. People often say riders should pay more attention, but that’s not how it works. They need better guidance—this situation should never have happened."

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There are already many crashes again at the beginning of the season, so should the course be SafeR?

SafeR is badly needed, but only if it remains fully independent

Ganna and a few others did take the correct route. The Italian INEOS Grenadiers rider won the stage, but unfortunately for him, the results were annulled. The podcast hosts called it unfair. "There is no consistency in the way the rules are applied. It’s pure interpretation in the moment. Taking Ganna’s victory away wasn’t fair. He did nothing wrong—he simply won the race."

Regardless, this incident was yet another example of the safety problems in cycling. The question was raised whether there are more crashes and chaos now than in the past or if it’s just that more races today are poorly organized compared to the Tour de France. "I don’t know, but I keep repeating it: I see the same comments over and over—SafeR must be fully independent."

Last week, John Degenkolb also called for an independent body like this. But SafeR is currently controlled by the UCI, and that’s the problem, according to Bruyneel. "The UCI wants to keep all the power. Anything that isn’t under their control, they won’t accept. If something isn’t sanctioned, licensed, controlled, and approved by them, they try to block it. They’ll say that riders who participate in those races can’t compete in theirs. They’ll do everything possible to make sure no one takes part—unless they get a seat at the table and can have control over it."

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The Tour de France in Saudi hands?

OneCycling will take over the Tour de France

Bruyneel, who has never been a fan of the UCI, believes that something needs to emerge outside of its control. And that is exactly what is waiting behind the scenes: OneCycling—often referred to as the Champions League of cycling—is an economic model where the best riders compete against each other more often, and teams are no longer reliant on sponsorship money. Many teams and race organizers support the idea, with the exception of ASO.

"The king on the chessboard is the Tour de France. If you own that, you can build your own calendar around it, and it won’t matter if you’re allowed to race the World Championships or not," said the podcast host. This is something Bruyneel sees happening in the near future. "That’s why I think OneCycling will succeed in the long run. Especially because Saudi money is behind it. OneCycling will likely start as a kind of sub-division, probably with some level of UCI approval. But in the end, the Saudis will buy the Tour. It’s inevitable. I see it happening within five to ten years," the Belgian concluded.

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