“Privatise Alpe d’Huez”: Pineau and Pozzato push ticketing to keep road racing alive

With mega-sponsors like UAE, Lidl and INEOS, the richest WorldTour teams keep pulling further ahead. Beneath that top tier, race organisers — and plenty of smaller teams — are struggling to keep their heads above water. Roadside viewing has always been free in cycling, but should that still be the case?

On RMC Sport 's cycling podcast Grand Plateau, Jérôme Pineau floated a provocative idea. The former general manager at Arkéa B&B Hotels — whose project collapsed — thinks the sport needs a reset. “We’re in a system with super‑rich riders, yet there’s no money to be made,” he says. “Cycling is going under because of this. I’m very worried about my sport.”

Cycling lags other sports when it comes to VIP and sponsor treatment, Pineau argues. “With hospitality packages, a club’s partner has their own box and invites people. When I went to the Tour de France, I had to create my own box or pay for one because it’s a cash cow.”

Pineau sees a major chance in the 2026 Tour de France route, which is set to climb Alpe d’Huez twice in two different stages. It’s one of the most iconic spots in world cycling — and, in his view, a revenue opportunity for not only the organizers but also the teams.

"Let’s privatise the last five kilometres of Alpe d’Huez," He said. "Charge an entry fee, bring in VIPs — let’s create something that makes money! Cycling has always been free, but a free sport with hardly any riders left because only two teams can survive — Bahrain and UAE — is less fun, right?”

Filippo Pozzato, now president of PP Sport Events and a road race organiser himself, backs the idea — and says he already charges spectators. “I think this is the only solution we have to survive in the future,” he tells Cycling Pro. "We are the only sport that has no ticketing model.”

Where Pineau’s version is still a thought experiment, Pozzato says practice shows it can work — even for road events. “When I first implemented this model, people insulted me. They said I wanted to be elitist. To watch a sixth‑tier professional football game you pay €15. Why shouldn’t you pay a small amount to see the best cyclists in the world?”

According to Pozzato, the system is already paying off. “We started four years ago with a €10 ticket including a beer. Since last year it’s €10 without beer, but with lots of services included. We put up big screens nearby, and there’s a DJ and an MC to get the crowd into the race. This year we bought a motorbike so we could broadcast live from the start — not just the final 90 minutes.”