Former pro rider, Doug Ryder, talks about the challenges of setting up and managing a cycling team. He discusses the complexities of running a team, securing sponsorships, and gaining credibility. The podcast also explores the need for change in the financial structure of cycling competitions.
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Quick takeaways
Building a professional cycling team from scratch requires overcoming steep learning curves and facing challenges of securing sponsorships and funding.
To create a sustainable financial structure in cycling, there is a need for unity among stakeholders and a Premier League model that generates revenue and distributes it to competitive teams.
Deep dives
The Business Behind Bike Racing
The podcast explores the business side of bike racing, highlighting the complex and precarious nature of the sport. It discusses how the team Q36.5 pro cycling manages the various aspects of the sport behind the scenes, including organizing bikes, travel, food, and support services. The team's Service Course in Oosterhout is described, showcasing the extensive infrastructure and logistics involved in running a professional cycling team. The podcast emphasizes the challenges of securing sponsorships and funding for the team, as well as the intense planning required to ensure the team's long-term sustainability.
The Trials and Triumphs of Team Quebeca NextHash
The podcast tells the story of Team Quebeca NextHash, which faced financial difficulties and a lack of guaranteed funding. It highlights the efforts made by Doug Ryder, the team's boss, to keep the team alive. Despite the team's initial demise, Ryder's determination and relentless work allowed the team to make a comeback after a year of nonstop effort and securing new partnerships. The podcast explores the challenges faced by the team in building a roster of competitive riders while navigating the financial constraints of the sport.
Calls for Change in Cycling's Financial Structure
The podcast concludes with Doug Ryder discussing the need for radical changes in cycling's financial and competitive structure. He emphasizes the lack of unity and connection among different stakeholders in the sport and calls for a Premier League model that can generate revenue through media rights and distribute it to competitive teams. Ryder believes that a healthier financial structure in cycling would allow for more sustainable teams and happier fans, as well as better compensation for cyclists who currently face significant risks but receive inadequate pay.
The South African former pro rider set up his cycling team in 2007. As MTN Qhubeka they became the first-ever African registered team to ride the Tour de France.
He talks about the challenges of putting together a team from scratch - and the steep learning curve he faced moving from cycling to managing.
After a successful stint on the world stage, a combination of financial and sponsorship problems lead to the team, which by then had gone through multiple name changes, being disbanded in 2021.
Doug Ryder has now put a new team together – we catch up with him at the Q36.5 Pro Cycling HQ in the Netherlands.
Produced and presented by Matthew Kenyon
(Image: Doug Ryder. Credit: BBC)
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