The Economics of Professional Road Cycling

Over the past decade, a growing body of academic literature on the economics of road cycling has been amassed. This book is the first volume to bring together a majority of the academic research and knowledge on the economics and management of professional road cycling. Each chapter treats a particular economic aspect of the sport, from organizational structure to marketing, labor, game theory, and competitive balance.  By discussing the existing research and complementing it with the newest concepts, ideas and data on professional road cycling, this book sets an agenda for further academic research while providing insights for all stakeholders in cycling: governments, cycling's governing bodies, team managers, race organizers, sponsors, media. Furthermore, the unique characteristics of the sport of cycling explored within this text inform broader management and industrial organization research, as they extend analyses of team labor, broadcast revenue generation, and sponsorship financing models. This book is equally of interest to academic researchers, students studying sports economics, and policy makers, such as race organizers, team managers, and sponsors.

Daniel Joseph Larson is a Lecturer at the University of Oklahoma in the Department of Health and Exercise Science. His research interests are largely contained within the economics of competitive cycling, ranging from professional competition to recreational participation. His past work experience includes periods of collegiate cycling team coaching, professional cycling team management, and managing several competitive cycling events. His past academic research topics also include cycling event management, the industrial organization of sport coaches, U.S. professional cyclist compensation, and cycling competition policies. Daam Van Reeth is an Associate Professor at the Catholic University of Louvain and program director of the business administration program at the University College Brussels (Belgium). His research interests relate to the economics of sport, with special focus on professional road cycling. Research topics he worked on include TV demand for the Tour de France, doping, gender balance in sports coverage of the Olympic Games, performance measurement and fantasy sports.