Pozzato champions paid ticketing model for cycling’s financial survival

"I think it's the only solution we have to survive in the future. We are the only sport that does not have a model with ticketing," Pozzato told SpazioCiclismo. 

The topic of charging spectators to watch cycling races resurfaced after Jerome Pineau, former general manager of B&B Hotels, recently questioned whether fans should pay to access key race moments. "Let’s privatise the last five kilometres of Alpe d’Huez. Let’s charge admission, let’s have VIPs, let’s create something to make money," Pineau said on RMC podcast Grand Plateau. 

Pozzato, who won 32 professional races including the 2006 Milan-San Remo, has been implementing his vision at the Veneto Classic, where spectators pay €10 to watch riders tackle the Tisa climb six times.

"When I applied this model for the first time I took insults from people," Pozzato said. "They told me I was being classist. But to go and see a non-league football match you also pay €15, so why can't you pay something to see the best cyclists in the world?"

Pozzato added that his ticketing system includes entertainment and amenities beyond just watching the race. Over the course of the last couple of years, the approach is gradually gaining traction. 

"This year, for the first time since we have been investing, we have brought 720 paying visitors. The dream is to reach a thousand people and start increasing the price of the ticket and the quality of the service," said Pozzato.

The former rider believes cycling must evolve to secure its future: "We must try to do something that has a self-sufficient economic system, otherwise it is all useless."

Pozzato said that he attempted to expand this model to the Giro d'Italia for the Bassano del Grappa stage on the final weekend in 2024 but he faced resistance. 

"They say that people are not ready. But if you don't start, it's never ready," said Pozzato, who also weighed in on the thorny question of sharing television rights revenue with teams. 

"This is only a problem of two organizers, ASO and RCS, who take a lot of TV rights. Personally, if I had these races in my hands, I would give the money from the TV rights to the teams."

Pozzato maintains smaller races face extinction if they do not change their approach.

"If we don't go on this model here, all the small Italian races die. The problem in Italy is that, apart from RCS Sport racing, all the others are destined to die," he said. "I am sure it is right. But I'm alone against a million, I'm going against the flow of traffic. So they take me for stupid that I go the wrong way."