Charging admission on popular climbs? It’s one of the options for making cycling more profitable, but several parties have already spoken out against the idea. Now the ASO – organizer of the Tour de France among others – has also stated that a ticket system is "not on the table."
Recently, Jérôme Pineau – former pro and ex-team manager of B&B Hotels-Vital Concept – suggested the idea of charging admission on Alpe d’Huez during the Tour de France. “Let’s close off the last five kilometers of this climb, privatize it. Then it’s possible to charge admission. Let’s also welcome VIPs. Let’s create something to make money!” he enthusiastically said in a podcast. Marc Madiot (team manager Groupama-FDJ) was also a guest but was not in favor of the plan.
UCI president David Lappartient later expressed that he is not a supporter either. “If you try to make people pay to watch the Tour, you’ll face huge resistance. Just look at what happens when you mess with the pension system,” he pointed out to the French newspaper Ouest France.
The ASO has now also responded to Pineau’s idea. "Cycling is by definition free," says Pierre-Yves Thouault, deputy director of cycling, to La Dernière Heure. "Introducing ticket sales is simply not being considered."
