UAE team Emirates is having an incredible season. 77 wins in a year, including the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and the World Championship, is a rare occurrence. In addition, 20 riders from the team were able to score a victory in 2024. Patrick Lefebvre is deeply humbled by the team’s achievements, but believes that financial resources play an important role in the team’s success, writing in his column for Het Nieuwsblad:
“Clearly, the power of money contributes to the UAE’s dominance. It is no secret that their domestics are the leaders of most other teams,” Lefebvre wrote. “At the same time, I don’t want to discount the benefits. The UAE team is also structured smartly, there is a lot of young talent, and Middle Eastern funds play a different role than in football.”
“Qatar and Saudi Arabia attract star players from traditional soccer countries, so those clubs are cashing in on celebrities who are just past their prime.” Lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont wants to abolish the transfer system. In that case, I’ll say that to a lot of people.” Welcome to our world, football friends, where transfer fees didn’t exist. โ
In the world of football, it’s mainly the experienced players who choose Emirates Money, but in the world of cycling, it’s the youngsters who switch. โUAE Team Emirates has nothing to do with celebrities, they just bet very much on young talent. Their list of 20 winners includes names like Isaac del Toro, Jan Christen and Antonio Morgado. They are all 20 years old. They have the biggest team. They have talent at the top of the pyramid in Tadej Pogaฤar, but they also have a lot of investment at the bottom.”
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Antonio Morgado
Youngster chooses UAE: “Pogaฤar wasn’t possible with that budget”
โIn this way, of course, it is difficult for the remaining players to compete. I am not exaggerating the truth when I say that most of these talents have attracted the attention of other teams. UAE Josรฉan Matosin, the sports manager of “, is an excellent scout”, but so is our Johan More, and if I know well, Jan Christen has not yet signed a contract there. If so, he was close to the Rudhoft brothers (edited by Alpecin Deceuninck). I knew about Pogacar and Mikkel Bjorg, but it just wasn’t possible financially.”
So while you can ensure the best staff and the best climate, Lefebvre argues that is often no longer the deciding factor. “After all, the choice of a rider is often determined by money. There’s nothing to complain about.” A family with 70,000 euros in the bank would naturally propose a contract that would suddenly allow their 16-year-old son to earn many times more. I understand that, but at the same time I am disappointed that the romantic idea of โโ“discovering a rider” is gradually disappearing,” concluded the Soudal QuickStep team boss.
The new cyclocross season calendar is now online! Check here. Or check out the general calendar for the rest of the season’s men’s and women’s races.