The Rise, Fall & Rise Again Of Professional Cycling
Published on
by Dominic Mills
Bicycles are generally deemed to be the most common vehicle of any kind in the world, but how did what was once created as a solution for horse starvation become one of the world’s most popular sports?
In this feature, we explore the unique history of professional cycling as a sport.
In this Insight:
The beginning
Bicycles as we know them today - with two similar-sized wheels, a chain system, inflatable tyres and a handlebar - were first introduced in the late 1800s and were known as “safety bicycles”.
Cycling had been a popular pastime prior to the safety bicycle, but earlier models were seen more as dangerous joyrides for a select few rather than a safe and reliable mode of transport.
As the standard of living grew in many countries in Europe throughout the late 1800s and first half of the 1900s, with increased income and fewer working hours, cycling became more accessible, both as a mode of transport for workers, but also as a leisure activity, where road races were organised.
Road bicycle races were first introduced as an organised sport in 1868, but grew in popularity towards the turn of the century as Cycling was included in the 1896 Summer Olympic Games.
This sparked the emergence of several long-distance road races throughout central Europe, most being organised by newspapers looking to boost bicycle sales and their advertisement revenue.
Cycling struggles
Following its successful emergence, cycling and professional cycling races continued to gain popularity, particularly in Western Europe, throughout the first half of the 20th century.
From the mid 1950s, people worked fewer hours and the average income continued to rise, just as it had done in the decades before, but this time to the detriment of cycling.
With a larger disposable income, motorcycles and cars became the preferred mode of transport. As a result, bicycle companies struggled to keep up and reduced their investments in cycling teams and riders.
This came at the same time as television became an increasingly popular pastime and information source, competing and eventually overtaking newspapers. Consequently, newspapers found it increasingly difficult to organise races and TV broadcasters didn’t prioritise cycling due to the challenges with producing high quality live content, in comparison to stadium-centred sports.
These factors led to a challenging few decades for cycling with decreased prize money, lower sponsorship income and a general struggle to monetise the sport.
Globalisation and digitalisation of professional road cycling
Despite facing issues throughout the 1900s, professional cycling maintained a core fanbase in Western Europe, particularly in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.
When transportation and information costs started decreasing in Europe throughout the 1980s, race organisers decided to capitalise on the widespread appeal and potential of the sport by expanding traditional race routes to incorporate several countries.
Around this time, cycling teams also started to break tradition and include riders from nationalities outside of the team’s home country, notably seeing many new riders from areas without a cycling tradition, including Colombia, Eastern Europe, North America and Oceania, join the biggest races.
This period also saw significant improvements in technology, allowing broadcasters to increase the quality and duration of live broadcasts of cycling events, at the same time as the European TV market was liberalising, with private channels driving an increase in broadcast rights.
A more globalised approach, combined with a lucrative broadcasting landscape, saw race organisers and teams attract more international sponsors and reinvest in the sport through increased prize money and technology.
Cycling today
Today, professional road cycling is among the most watched sports in the world. Findings from market research company GWI found that cycling was the 8th most watched sport in 2023, with 25% of respondents following, watching or having an interest.
Although sports like football, cricket and tennis are thought to have a greater global following, cycling is steadily building a larger and more global fan base and recent years have seen it climb to become the most followed endurance sport in the world.
A key contributor to this rise is how cycling has positioned itself at a key crosspoint between entertainment, professional sport, accessibility and innovation - explored in more detail in the ‘How cycling climbed to the top of endurance sports’ article.
If you want to find out more about brand opportunities in cycling, please get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sponsorship is the financial support for a sporting event, organisation or athlete by an outside body, for the mutual benefit of both parties. At the professional level this tends to be by companies, to raise the profile of their brand by associating it with the athlete.
The company aims to generate brand awareness and customer recognition, whilst the event, organisation or athlete receives a boost in funding.
A popular example is a brand logo printed on a team shirt. Visibility is guaranteed, even more so in the modern world with social media and online highlights.
In the land of media and marketing rights today, there is no cookie-cut solution for brands, and a simple logo placement will not provide the sufficient return on investment (ROI) for sponsorship, nor does it give their target audience the “why?” - the reason to spend their money and engage with the product.
Companies investing in sports sponsorship need to look at the bigger picture to engage with fans and not rely on just one piece of inventory.
Sponsors get the opportunity to showcase their brand and products to a greater audience of varying demographics. The global nature of sport today means that athletes feature within competitions that attract millions, sometimes billions of viewers worldwide. By placing their brand within this sphere, organisations can catch the attention of people around the world.
In modern times, the value of social media cannot be underestimated. Even traditional forms of sponsorship are likely to appear on social media, opening the brand up to an even wider audience - even appearing in new territories.
Through placements on jerseys and advertising boards, sponsors get a high visual presence and become part of the action. If visibility is the core objective, then it's a surefire way to succeed, whether that’s inside the stadium, TV or online.
It is the emotional engagement which sets sponsorships in sport apart from almost all other forms of advertising and sponsoring initiatives. Traditional advertising platforms such as TV can attain similar reach figures to sport, but can’t compete with sports fans’ engagement.
Sport sponsoring offers a range of benefits for brands, making it a valuable investment in marketing strategies:
Brand Visibility: Sponsoring provides extensive exposure through signage, uniforms, and broadcasts, increasing brand visibility to a wide and engaged audience.
Targeted Audience: Sports sponsorships enable brands to reach a specific and passionate target audience, aligning with the demographics and interests of sports fans.
Emotional Connection: Associating with sports entities helps create emotional connections with consumers, leveraging the positive sentiments associated with their favorite teams or athletes.
Global Reach: Sports sponsorships often have a global reach, allowing brands to connect with audiences on an international scale, contributing to global brand recognition.
Brand Image Enhancement: Sponsoring prestigious sports events or teams can enhance a brand's image, associating it with qualities such as excellence, teamwork, and success.
Consumer Engagement: Sponsorship activations, events, and promotions provide opportunities for direct consumer engagement, fostering brand loyalty and interaction.
Differentiation: Sponsoring allows brands to stand out from competitors by affiliating with unique and high-profile sports properties, differentiating themselves in the market.
Community Involvement: Sports sponsorship provides avenues for brands to support local communities and grassroots initiatives associated with the sponsored sports entities.
In essence, sport sponsoring contributes to enhanced visibility, brand loyalty, and positive brand associations, making it a potent tool for achieving diverse marketing goals.
A sports marketing agency is a specialised firm that focuses on promoting and enhancing the brand image of sports-related entities, including athletes, teams, leagues, and sports events.
These agencies operate at the intersection of sports and marketing, offering a range of services to clients looking to maximise their visibility and commercial success within the sports industry.
Sports marketing agencies devise and implement strategies to build and manage brand partnerships, negotiate sponsorship deals, organise promotional events, and leverage digital and traditional media for effective outreach.
They play a crucial role in creating and executing marketing campaigns that resonate with sports enthusiasts and broader audiences, aiming to boost engagement, revenue, and overall brand value for their clients in the dynamic and competitive world of sports.
SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that specialises in sports rights, marketing, and entertainment. We work with sports organisations, clubs, and brands to create and optimise commercial opportunities in the sports industry. SPORTFIVE is involved in various aspects of sports business, including the sale of broadcasting rights, sponsorship and partnership management, stadium naming rights, and other marketing initiatives.
SPORTFIVE creates innovative, engaging solutions that are worthy of the incredible sports, athletes and partners we work with, and the passionate fans who follow them. Campaigns are built collaboratively, based on trust and transparency, and enabled by a deep understanding of the industry, the agency’s global reach, digital intelligence and creative courage.
The result is gamechanging sports partnerships that redefine standards in the sports and entertainment space.
SPORTFIVE believes in the power of five - bringing brands, rights holders, media platforms, fans and ‘us’ together through sport.
SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that specialises in various aspects of the sports and entertainment industry. The agency works with sports organisations, teams, and brands to optimise commercial opportunities.
One of SPORTFIVE's key areas of focus is the sale and management of sports media rights, including broadcasting and digital distribution deals. They negotiate and facilitate partnerships, sponsorships, and naming rights for sports entities, helping them enhance their brand value and revenue streams.
Additionally, SPORTFIVE provides expertise in marketing strategies, assisting clients in building strong connections with their target audiences. Their comprehensive approach spans across the sports business landscape, from media rights to sponsorship management, contributing to the overall growth and success of their clients in the dynamic world of sports marketing.
