Beware of settling for less in modern cycling. Brent Copeland, who has been in the sport for more than 26 years after retiring in 1999, knows this well. Sponsors want results. Teams merge and Investments made at the table do not always lead to the desired objectives once you're on the road. The general manager of the Jayco-AlUla he doesn't hide behind his finger. In recent days he applauded Paul Double's success in the general classification at the Tour of Guangxi (in the opening), but remains down to earth.
"It was a decent season," Copeland admits, before rewinding the tape, "but we could have done better. We won the queen stage of the Giro d'Italia with Chris Harper and then did the same with Ben (O'Connor, ed.) at the Tour de France. At the end of the season, however, you always think that perhaps you could have done something more.. Also because expectations at the beginning of the year are always much higher than what can be achieved. Perhaps, the only cases that represent the exception to the equation are the UAE this year (96 wins, ed.) or the 2023 Visma which won almost 70 races (69 victories for the Hornets two years ago, ed.) plus all three Grand Tours».
At the helm of the Australian team since the summer of 2020, Copeland expected a few more flames from his boys and he says it without hesitation. «Looking at this year's team with O'Connor, Matthews, Dunbar, Zana, Schmid – adds Copeland – We had at least 7-8 riders capable of winning, but not all of them left their markLooking at the team standings, we're in 18th place: that's not the position we deserve. We should be at least in the top 10 given what we've invested and the energy we've put into it."
A ceiling for budgets
The philosophy for 2026 changes. The goal is for some promises to become reality with the broader hope that a balance will be found. Il 2025 is was dominated by the UAE Team Emirates-XRG, with a strong budget and a real Dream Team around the phenomenon Tadej Pogacar. As president of theAIGCP (International Association of Professional Cyclists), Copeland adds: "We need to talk more about this trend. It could lead to the bubble bursting if, for example, a budget cap for each team is not established.If nothing is done, the gap will grow further, there will be less uncertainty, and the risk is that the spectacular nature of our sport will be jeopardized."
Copeland knows what he's talking about. In addition to managing the Liv AlUla-Jayco women's team, in the past he followed the rider Ben Spies in MotoGP. «Right now, the best teams have a budget 100 or 200 percent higher than the intermediate teams. And the latter, in turn, have much more available than the smaller ones. This system doesn't work and will only get worse if we don't regulate it somehow.Salary caps, limits on overall team budgets, other measures: something must be done. If our sport becomes less competitive, we will lose TV, sponsors and spectators.Formula 1 and MotoGP have changed a lot in the last ten years to keep up. We must avoid being left behind, both in men's and women's cycling. In the latter, for example, we have made the wise choice to avoid overlaps in the calendar between the major races. Something that, on the other hand, happens in the men's field with simultaneous events such as those between Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico».
O'Connor's role
Then he returns to Jayco-AlUla for 2026. «As far as we are concerned – says Copeland – we have reduced investments to compose the new roster, even though it's increasingly difficult to find a balance between budget and being competitive at a high level. We want to focus on young players, but without lowering the team's level. We made a courageous choice, but I'm sure that, If we manage it well with the sporting directors and our performance group, it can be sustainable and functional.».
Surely, Much of the expectation rests on Ben O'Connor's shouldersFists thrown to the sky in celebration the triumph on the Col de la Loze They are a snapshot of this year for the Australian team. Yet, given what he showed in 2024, Copeland demands more from his star.
«Our dream, like that of any team – he says – is to get on the podium at Tour de France. To do so requires a lot of investment, and it's not necessarily enough because you'll face many obstacles along the way. If everything goes smoothly and the planets align, it becomes possible. We have this opportunity with Ben And, these days, a podium in a Grand Tour is even better than winning a Monument. Of course, we know we don't have a team at the level of Pogacar and Vingegaard's superteams, but if the route they unveil in the next few days is suited to his characteristics, we'll give it a try."
The route of the Tour
The presentation of the Grande Boucle will take place on October 23rd and that will be a crossroads for the Jayco-AlUla plans and for O'Connor's seasonMoreover, the twenty-nine-year-old from Subiaco has already demonstrated at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich that he can also hold his own in one-day races, finishing second in the world championship race behind only the uncatchable Pogacar.
«Once the profile of the Tour has been outlined – explains Copeland – we will decide whether to aim for a possible podium or a top 5, or whether to concentrate on the classicsLet's not forget that he joined our team after finishing fourth in the 2024 WorldTour. This year, it's natural for him to get used to his new environment and his new teammates. It's right to give him time because I'm sure he'll bring us a lot of fun in 2026.
The centrality of Matthews
And for the one-day races, Bling's star shines again. Copeland's smile lights up: "Matthews is the team's biggest assetMaybe he doesn't win as much as he deserves, but that's only because there are riders with his characteristics who are slightly stronger, a bit like what happens to Remco when he clashes with Pogacar. Michael, in fact, today faces titans of the caliber of Van der Poel or Van Aert."
Given what he showed at Lombardia, who knows, maybe he could be the veteran of the team, the big purchase for 2026. «When the doctors told us that he was healed – replies Brent, who then remembers – I had no doubt that he would come back even stronger, given his conviction. In 2022, we were in the midst of a relegation battle. Instead Matthews finished third in the World Championships and saved our license for another 3 yearsHe's done something special, just like last year when he won the Grand Prix de Québec in Canada. Michael can have his say in the Milan-San Remo or the Amstel Gold Race. To support him, we chose riders like Capiot, De Bondt, Vendrame e Covi: By working together, I am sure that a close-knit group will be created."
And in the next few days, to try to bring important points, Pascal Ackermann will also be announced. Leaving Israel, the German sprinter who won the cyclamen jersey at the 2019 Giro d'Italia has already undergone medical checks in Turin with the rest of his teammates at the Riba Rehabilitation Institute in Turin two Sundays ago.
