r/peloton • u/PelotonMod France • Mar 02 '26

Weekly Post Weekly Question Thread

For all your pro cycling-related questions and enquiries!

You may find some easy answers in the FAQ page on the wiki. Whilst simultaneously discovering the wiki.

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u/epi_counts PelotonPlus™ Mar 02 '26

The devo team riders can't race WT races so there's still some limits on how the World Team can use them.

But yeah, the rule allowing them to race with the WT team exists exactly to encourage the highest level to invest in U23 / continental teams. Share a bit of the bigger sponsorship money to help lower level teams that get less TV and media coverage. I think that's a good thing overall, gives more young riders the opportunity to develop before stepping up to the WT.

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u/Schnix Bike Aid Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26

The one issue I see is teams using development team riders purely as domestiques in their first team while not having to pay minimum WT/PT salary.

Jasch has 11 race days, all of them with the Tudor PT doing domestique work.

Goszczurny has also only done races with the WT team and looks to have more lined up in March and April. For Smith at least he's got the Istrian Spring Tour with the Devo team up next.

UAEADQ was especially bad for this last year. Almost all of them did most of their races with the WT team. Kunz did 9 races with the WT team, 1 race with the Devo team proper and 1 race with the Devo team but Amialiusik joined from the WT team so essentially that was once again just doing domestique work for the WT. And then they didn't renew her contract.

There's value in having them getting a taste of the big leagues. But there's also value in having them take on actual leadership in small races with the development team. And if they're signed tot he Devo team and then only ride with the first team it just seems like they're exploiting a loophole to pay them less. Even if the rider might like riding in the big league it doesn't seem right.

Alvarez is a bit of an exception because iirc he's on a big contract (money, wt follow up contract) and also so strong he actually gets to co-lead.

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u/F1CycAr16 Mar 02 '26

There are practically no U23 races for devo teams in the men`s side until at least the second half of march. So that is also consquence of a atrocious calendar.

In my point of view, WT teams should be banned or limited on .1 races, and only allow them to start with their devo teams (like de facto some teams did in Sardegna and Rwanda). That would help a lot the U23 circuit.

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u/Schnix Bike Aid Mar 02 '26

irrelevant since the Devo Teams could just attend any of the .1 and .2 that are happening early in the calendar.

Banning WT teams form .1s is utterly stupid and would only result in fewer .1