{"id":252235,"date":"2025-11-09T01:34:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T01:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/252235\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T01:34:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T01:34:07","slug":"controversial-plans-to-charge-fans-to-watch-cycling-at-roadside-gather-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/252235\/","title":{"rendered":"Controversial plans to charge fans to watch cycling at roadside gather support"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nFrom the Veneto Classic to a wider movementPozzato has already introduced paid entry zones at his own Veneto Classic<\/a>, where spectators buy \u20ac10 tickets for access to the Tisa climb, complete with big screens, music, food, and entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I applied this model for the first time, people insulted me. They said I wanted to create a class divide. But you pay \u20ac15 to watch a lower-league football match \u2013 why shouldn\u2019t you pay something to see the best cyclists in the world?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pozzato said that after initial backlash, attitudes have shifted. \u201cIn the first years, everyone was angry about paying. Now the feedback is positive,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe\u2019ve built an area with screens, a DJ, and proper catering. The goal is to create an economically self-sufficient system \u2013 otherwise, it\u2019s all pointless.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, he revealed, 720 spectators bought tickets to the climb \u2013 a modest number by stadium standards, but a record for his event. \u201cThe dream is to reach a thousand, then raise the price and the quality of the experience so people come back because it\u2019s worth it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to educate people\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cYou have to educate people to understand that they\u2019re not throwing money away. You\u2019re giving them a service and an experience. It\u2019s also a way to bring younger people into cycling. Outside the Giro d\u2019Italia, hardly anyone comes to the roadside anymore \u2013 we need to make it fun again.\u201d<\/p>\n

He believes smaller events in particular must diversify revenue if they are to survive. \u201cIf we don\u2019t move towards this model, all the smaller Italian races will die. Apart from those run by RCS Sport, the rest can\u2019t keep going. They\u2019re run by enthusiasts, not professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has to become a show\u201d<\/p>\n

Pozzato\u2019s view echoes Pineau\u2019s broader argument that cycling\u2019s funding model is outdated, but he approaches it from a promoter\u2019s perspective rather than a team manager\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn cycling, everyone wants to do things the way they\u2019ve always been done,\u201d he said. \u201cI want things to change, because it\u2019s not sustainable for anyone. It has to be a show \u2013 a spectacle. You don\u2019t need to distort the sport, but you do need to treat it as entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n

He points to the Belgian Classics as inspiration. \u201cI took the model from Flanders,\u201d he said. \u201cThere, people pay \u20ac500 for hospitality. Here, it\u2019s hard to get people to pay \u20ac10. But if you want a quality product, services cost money.\u201d<\/p>\n

The direction of travel<\/p>\n

Whether the rest of the cycling world will follow remains uncertain. Pozzato admits he feels \u201calone against a million\u201d, but nevertheless, he still insists that the sport must take responsibility for its own sustainability.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to talk to the League about it but got no response. There\u2019s no business vision. The important thing is to create a quality product that has real value,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With Pineau calling for paid access to Alpe d\u2019Huez and Pozzato already charging at the Veneto Classic, a once-taboo idea is slowly entering mainstream conversation. The question now is whether cycling\u2019s century-old tradition of free roadside viewing can coexist with a financial reality that demands change.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From the Veneto Classic to a wider movementPozzato has already introduced paid entry zones at his own…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":252236,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-252235","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\/252235","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=252235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252235\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}