From the Veneto Classic to a wider movementPozzato has already introduced paid entry zones at his own Veneto Classic, where spectators buy €10 tickets for access to the Tisa climb, complete with big screens, music, food, and entertainment.

“When I applied this model for the first time, people insulted me. They said I wanted to create a class divide. But you pay €15 to watch a lower-league football match – why shouldn’t you pay something to see the best cyclists in the world?”

Pozzato said that after initial backlash, attitudes have shifted. “In the first years, everyone was angry about paying. Now the feedback is positive,” he explained. “We’ve built an area with screens, a DJ, and proper catering. The goal is to create an economically self-sufficient system – otherwise, it’s all pointless.”

This year, he revealed, 720 spectators bought tickets to the climb – a modest number by stadium standards, but a record for his event. “The dream is to reach a thousand, then raise the price and the quality of the experience so people come back because it’s worth it,” he said.

“You have to educate people”

For Pozzato, the key lies in changing perceptions. Charging for roadside access, he argues, is not about excluding fans but about offering value.

“You have to educate people to understand that they’re not throwing money away. You’re giving them a service and an experience. It’s also a way to bring younger people into cycling. Outside the Giro d’Italia, hardly anyone comes to the roadside anymore – we need to make it fun again.”

He believes smaller events in particular must diversify revenue if they are to survive. “If we don’t move towards this model, all the smaller Italian races will die. Apart from those run by RCS Sport, the rest can’t keep going. They’re run by enthusiasts, not professionals.”

“It has to become a show”

Pozzato’s view echoes Pineau’s broader argument that cycling’s funding model is outdated, but he approaches it from a promoter’s perspective rather than a team manager’s.

“In cycling, everyone wants to do things the way they’ve always been done,” he said. “I want things to change, because it’s not sustainable for anyone. It has to be a show – a spectacle. You don’t need to distort the sport, but you do need to treat it as entertainment.”

He points to the Belgian Classics as inspiration. “I took the model from Flanders,” he said. “There, people pay €500 for hospitality. Here, it’s hard to get people to pay €10. But if you want a quality product, services cost money.”

The direction of travel

Whether the rest of the cycling world will follow remains uncertain. Pozzato admits he feels “alone against a million”, but nevertheless, he still insists that the sport must take responsibility for its own sustainability.

“I tried to talk to the League about it but got no response. There’s no business vision. The important thing is to create a quality product that has real value,” he said.

With Pineau calling for paid access to Alpe d’Huez and Pozzato already charging at the Veneto Classic, a once-taboo idea is slowly entering mainstream conversation. The question now is whether cycling’s century-old tradition of free roadside viewing can coexist with a financial reality that demands change.