'Cycling should have a Concorde Agreement like in Formula 1' - Fabian Cancellara in favour of a budget cap to ensure pro cycling's long-term success

Fabian Cancellara's Tudor Pro Cycling team has a wealthy Swiss watch title sponsor, is set for invitations to all the WorldTour races in 2027 and has again strengthened their roster. Yet the team cannot avoid the commercial pressures and growing costs of pro cycling if they want to compete in the biggest races and secure WorldTour status in 2029, when three-year licences are next awarded.

Tudor finished 17th in the 2026 UCI team ranking, with a series of injuries and Julian Alaphilippe's early retirement and fading career hampering their points scoring. Tudor has signed sprinters Arnaud de Lie and Kaden Groves for 2027, with Stefan Küng, Michael Storer, Marco Brenner and Lennart Jasch offering leadership and promising young talent.

Cancellara is following a very carefully carefully calculated strategy and is improving his team organically, year on year. But the former Classics winner and time trial world champion admits it is a struggle to compete against WorldTour super teams that have close to double his €22 million budget.

That is why Cancellara is in favour of some kind of budget cap or new financial regulation for pro cycling. 

The UCI is actively studying major reforms, including the introduction of a financial fairness mechanism such as a budget cap. UCI President David Lapparitent is expected to reveal more at the annual UCI Seminar in Benidorm on December 9-10, when the 2027 WorldTour and ProTeams are announced.

"I'll be in Benidorm for the UCI congress this year. I'm curious to listen to what is said. We, by that I mean everyone in cycling, needs to think about this," Cancellara told Domestique in an exclusive interview before he travelled to London to be a guest at the Rouleur Live bike show.

"We need to think about it because otherwise the stretch (between teams) will become too big. The big teams are getting stronger and the others are struggling and so then we'll have fewer teams. That will not help anybody."

Cancellara knows that super teams like UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Lidl-Trek are against budget caps. So are riders and their agents, who do not want to see their earnings limited or even reduced. Cancellara calls for a more comprehensive and inclusive approach. 

"Cycling should have a Concorde Agreement like in Formula 1," he said.

"Everyone can have their ego, that's alright. But we need some common sense for the sport. If not, then you just destroy yourself. That's just the reality."

The F1 Concorde Agreement brings the teams, event owners and the motor sport governing body together via a binding agreement that is discussed and renewed every four or five years.

In recent years teams have accepted a cost cap and new hybrid engines. Revenues and prize money are shared, with regulatory stability to decide the rules of racing.

In recent years, thanks to the business acumen of F1 owners Liberty Media and growing appeal to the US market, F1 revenues have increased significantly and the best teams like Ferrari and Mercedes are now calculated to be worth over six billion dollars.

Cancellara can see the benefits of a similar business model for pro cycling. However major race organisers like ASO, who organise the Tour de France, are historically against sharing their hard-earned television rights and other revenue with the teams.

"I'm not talking about more money or weaker teams getting more money," Cancellara said.