A new project that promised to revolutionise professional cycling has been rejected by the UCI as “incompatible” and “lacking sporting coherence”.
One Cycling, an idea developed behind the scenes by some of the sport’s top teams, proposed a ‘super league’ restructure to elite racing, with the goal of creating new revenue streams.
It was expected to be funded by Saudi Arabian investors, with a launch potentially as early as 2026. On Thursday evening, however, the project appeared to receive a setback when the UCI ruled to exclude it from its men’s and women’s WorldTour calendars, set until the end of 2028.
“While welcoming the fact that road cycling is attracting new investors, the UCI Management Committee nevertheless unanimously decided, following the PCC's vote in this direction, not to respond to the request, as it stands, to include the OneCycling project in the UCI Women's WorldTour and UCI WorldTour calendars,” the governing body wrote in a statement.
“The project, which had been developed by certain teams and organisers, in collaboration with a sports investment fund, was deemed incompatible with the governance and regulatory framework of the UCI as well as lacking sporting coherence.”
Not ruling out future possibilities, the UCI added that it wishes to “continue discussions” with One Cycling’s stakeholders.
According to reports, Visma-Lease a Bike managing director Richard Plugge has been one of the leading advocates for the project. It is understood that Tour of Flanders organiser Flanders Classics is also involved, while ASO, the owner of the Tour de France, has resisted joining.
The first whispers of the project are thought to have begun in late 2023. The idea stemmed from concerns of financial instability in professional cycling, with teams said to be too dependent on sponsors for income. It also sought to rearrange the calendar so the sport’s biggest riders competed against each other more regularly.
In a statement seen by Cyclingnews, One Cycling representatives responded to the UCI’s decision with optimism, writing “the door is now wide open” to address concerns.
The UCI’s ruling came as part of a lengthy statement announcing WorldTour calendar changes and new technological regulations for future seasons.
One of the most significant calendar changes is the moving of the Giro d’Italia Women in 2026 from its usual July spot – which has clashed with the men’s Tour de France since 1990 – to 30 May-7 June, following on from the men’s Giro d’Italia. The Tour of Britain Women has also been moved from June to 20-23 August, nearer the dates of its men’s equivalent.
Full details of the 2026 men's and women's UCI WorldTour calendars can be found within the press release.
The UCI also announced it will implement handlebar width restrictions from 1 January 2026, with the minimum overall width set at 400mm for mass start road events. A clarification on the use of time trial helmets in road races is expected to follow.
