{"id":216982,"date":"2025-10-22T03:56:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T03:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/216982\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T03:56:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T03:56:13","slug":"jayco-alula-boss-calls-on-uci-to-implement-structural-reform-and-save-pro-cycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/216982\/","title":{"rendered":"Jayco AlUla boss calls on UCI to implement structural reform and save pro cycling"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n\u201cIf nothing changes, the bubble could burst\u201dCopeland has long been one of the sport\u2019s more pragmatic voices, and his comments come after a season dominated by UAE Team Emirates – XRG<\/a>, who collected 96 victories in 2025. For him, that imbalance isn\u2019t simply the result of great management \u2013 it\u2019s a reflection of financial disparity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to talk more about this trend,\u201d he said. \u201cIt could lead to the bubble bursting if, for example, we don\u2019t introduce a budget cap for each team. If nothing is done, the gap will grow even more, there will be less uncertainty, and the risk is that the spectacle of our sport will suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drawing comparisons with other global motorsports, Copeland argued that cycling must learn from Formula 1 and MotoGP \u2013 both of which have implemented financial and technical controls to maintain competition and appeal. \u201cFormula 1 and MotoGP have evolved massively over the last ten years to stay relevant,\u201d he noted. \u201cWe need to do the same, both in men\u2019s and women\u2019s cycling. If our sport becomes less competitive, we\u2019ll lose TV audiences, sponsors, and fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Copeland also praised the UCI\u2019s decision to avoid major calendar clashes in women\u2019s cycling \u2013 something he believes the men\u2019s calendar should replicate. \u201cIt was a smart choice to avoid overlapping big races. Yet in the men\u2019s side, we still have Paris\u2013Nice and Tirreno\u2013Adriatico running at the same time,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\"Isaac<\/p>\n

Isaac del Toro took UAE’s 95th win of 2025 at the Giro del Veneto<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should be in the top 10, not 18th\u201dWhile his comments were primarily directed at cycling\u2019s structure, Copeland also reflected on Team Jayco AlUla\u2019s own season. Despite standout stage wins from Chris Harper<\/a> at the Giro d\u2019Italia and Ben O\u2019Connor at the Tour de France, he admitted the team underachieved.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a decent season, but we could have done better,\u201d he said. \u201cLooking at the team we had with O\u2019Connor, Matthews, Dunbar, Zana and Schmid, we had at least seven or eight riders capable of winning, but not all of them made their mark. If you look at the team rankings, we\u2019re 18th \u2013 that\u2019s not where we belong. Based on the investment and the effort we\u2019ve put in, we should be in the top ten.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new philosophy for 2026Team Jayco AlUla\u2019s approach for the coming season will be different. The team has slightly reduced its spending while aiming to give more responsibility to younger riders, supported by experienced leaders like the aforementioned O\u2019Connor and Michael Matthews<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve made a bold choice,\u201d Copeland said. \u201cIt\u2019s always hard to balance budget and performance at the top level. We want to focus on young riders without lowering the standard of the team. If we manage it well with our sports directors and performance group, it can be sustainable and effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Australian team\u2019s ambitions remain centred around the Tour de France, where O\u2019Connor\u2019s win atop the Col de la Loze was one of the season\u2019s defining moments. Yet Copeland says a single mountain stage isn\u2019t enough. \u201cOur dream, like that of every team, is to reach the podium at the Tour de France,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know we don\u2019t have the same firepower as the superteams of Pogacar and Vingegaard, but if the 2026 route suits Ben\u2019s strengths, we\u2019ll go for it. These are the kinds of goals that justify the investment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matthews and the importance of leadership<\/p>\n

Copeland also reserved special praise for Michael Matthews, whose resilience and professionalism continue to define Team Jayco AlUla\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cMichael is the biggest asset we have,\u201d he said. \u201cHe might not win as much as he deserves, but that\u2019s only because he\u2019s up against titans like Van der Poel and Van Aert. When the doctors told us he was fully recovered, I had no doubt he\u2019d come back even stronger. He saved our WorldTour licence in 2022 by finishing third at the Worlds, and last year he won in Qu\u00e9bec. He can still be a protagonist at Milano\u2013Sanremo or the Amstel Gold Race.\u201d<\/p>\n

To support Matthews, the team have added riders like Capiot, De Bondt, Vendrame and Covi \u2013 a collective effort Copeland hopes will bring both results and renewed team spirit.<\/p>\n

Reform or risk stagnation<\/p>\n

As one of the sport\u2019s most experienced team managers, Copeland\u2019s call for reform carries weight. His message is clear: without financial regulation and structural balance, cycling risks losing the very unpredictability that makes it compelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gap is already huge,\u201d he warned. \u201cIf we don\u2019t act soon, we\u2019ll end up with fewer teams able to compete, fewer surprises, and less spectacle. That\u2019s not the cycling we want.\u201d<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cIf nothing changes, the bubble could burst\u201dCopeland has long been one of the sport\u2019s more pragmatic voices,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":216983,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-216982","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216982"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216982\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}