Hush-hush new league talks as vintage Tour, Olympics loom

PARIS : Who will win the next Tour de France is obviously going to be a hot topic in 2024 but talk of a new cycling league could also take centre stage as a handful of teams look to reshape the structure of the sport.

Dane Jonas Vingegaard is hot favourite to snatch a third consecutive Tour title, although Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, who is more of an all-rounder, could be a strong challenger if he does not favour the Giro d'Italia.

Belgian prodigy Remco Evenepoel is expected to make his Tour debut in what could be another vintage edition.

Pogacar, twice Tour champion, is at a crossroads.

He can go all in for another Tour title or aim at winning more 'Monuments' - the top five classics - and add the Giro or Vuelta to his list of achievements as well as the Olympic title, which will be decided on the streets of Paris in the summer.

The Olympics will see Britain look to maintain their dominance on the track after 'Team GB' scooped up nine medals - five of them gold - at the world championships, with the Netherlands hot on their heels with four titles.

The sport is looking at a potential major revamp as top teams want a bigger slice of the cake in an industry dominated by Tour de France owners Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), who also run the Vuelta and other major stage and one-day races.

A handful of European teams have been exploring plans to create a new competitive league in a move that could reshape the sport's landscape and allocate more funding for participants, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters this year.

HUSH-HUSH TALKS

External investors could help finance the project, two of the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private. The venture could amalgamate new and