Globalization in professional road cycling

Abstract

Road cycling has its historical roots in 4 European countries: France, Belgium, Italy and Spain. The 5 monuments of cycling as well as the three Grand Tours all take place in one of those 4 core countries, and for decades, the majority of the cycling peloton consisted of riders from these countries. Things started to change in the late 1980s, and from the 1990s on, the International Cycling Union has repeatedly stated that globalization of cycling is a major policy goal. In this chapter, we evaluate this policy goal and assess the significance of the globalization process in professional road cycling over the 1990-2015 period. The intended globalization is analysed from three points of view. Globalization at the rider level is measured by a nationality-based decomposition of the whole peloton. We also compare the nationalities of the top 100 riders and the winners of the most important cycling competitions over the years to check whether globalization is significant at the top level of cycling. To analyse the historical evolution of the globalization of cycling teams, two indicators are used: one measuring the international diversity within teams and one measuring the international dispersion of teams. Finally, globalization at the competition level is examined by a detailed analysis of the UCI calendar of professional cycling competitions.