VISION 2020
NOSTRADAMUS WAS NOT A CYCLIST. But imagine if he was. What might the famed French astrologer make of the next twelve months in cycling? Can Chris Froome make a successful return from devastating injuries? Is women’s cycling set to take a major leap forward? Who will seize Olympic gold in Tokyo? Will Julian Alaphilippe deliver a Tour de France encore? Or will Team Ineos reassert its stranglehold on the Grande Boucle? Looking at cycling tech, how many rear sprockets is enough? Will 2020 be the year rim braking descends into its final commercial death spiral? And how much further will e-cycling grow? Of course, the answers depend largely on who you ask. Alas, Nostradamus was unavailable. But plenty of eminent cycling folks were. From commentators, manufacturers and race organisers, to sports directors and even the UCI itself, here’s what they had to say when we asked them to gaze into their carbon-coated crystal balls…
“...As far as the enthusiast is concerned, WE’RE LIVING THROUGH THE GOLDEN AGE OF CYCLING...”
MATTHEW KEENAN | BROADCASTER
GENERATION NEXT. NOW.
“Mathieu van der Poel will be the most talked about rider in 2020. He’ll possibly win the cyclocross world title in February, a big one day race on the road in April as he did at Amstel Gold Race in 2019, and then the big target, gold in the MTB cross-country race at the Olympics in Tokyo. It’s a massive menu but he has the appetite to demolish it all. Remco Evenepoel will also continue to attract a lot of the headlines. Also watch the progress of Tadej Pogacar, the 20-year old Slovenian.”
TEAMS TO WATCH.
“Team Jumbo-Visma were brilliant in 2019. Whether or not they can all come together, with the recruitment of Tom Dumoulin, and challenge Team Ineos at the 2020 Tour de France is going to be a must-watch. Ag2r is under pressure to figure out the best way to structure Romain Bardet’s season. He can’t win the Tour but he can win the Giro. Is a French team, particularly its sponsors, prepared to invest in supporting the team’s big budget rider for anything other than the Tour? I hope so.”
EQUAL = OPPORTUNITY.
“Media coverage is priority number one to help grow cycling. Sponsors want return on investment, which comes from getting viewers, readers and listeners. And it’s self-perpetuating. With more money, more can be invested in growing the sport. This is particularly important in women’s cycling. I believe cycling (as a whole) would greatly benefit – getting a bigger audience, attracting more sponsors – if women’s races were put on equal footing with men’s races. Tennis does this best. Australia was just as enthralled by Ash Barty’s Roland-Garros win as it was by Lleyton Hewitt’s grand slam victories.”
CHRIS FROOME AT THE TOUR?
“In many ways, this year’s Tour de
