My name is Renée van Hout, and I am a cyclist. Cycling is often seen as an environmentally friendly sport, but how green is it really? In this series, I explore the hidden environmental costs of (professional) cycling—from bike production to travel gear consumption, and more. By shedding light on these overlooked aspects, I hope to spark conversation and take small steps toward a more sustainable sport.
In the third article in this series I dive into the impact of transport, cycling’s sponsors, and carbon offsetting.
Transport
After doing research, I came to the conclusion that transport is the biggest contributor to the carbon footprint of professional cycling. In 2019, the Belgian WorldTour team Deceuninck–Quick-Step consumed 27,000 plastic bottles, 750 jerseys, 2,500 caps, 180 helmets, 12,500 gels, 280 bikes, 600 chains, 300 groupsets, and 400 wheels. Their total annual emissions amounted to approximately 1,280 tonnes of CO2. Their research showed that reforestation covering over 3,000 football pitches would be required to offset their emissions. Interestingly, travel accounted for 90% of these total emissions.35 To offset their emissions, the team chose to support two international based project: one helping to supply safe drinking water in Uganda and one to help with the reforestation of the area around Mont Ventoux.36
When Michael Woods calculated his carbon footprinthe also found that travel to races was the biggest contributor. “The average person living in a similar region to me emits roughly 12-24 tons of CO2,” he said. “However, after carefully breaking down the level of shipping and consumption oriented around my riding, and the amount that I travel, and have vehicles supporting me in order to perform at all of my races, my total carbon footprint was 60 tons of CO2 (33 tons of which can be chalked up to my travel to races).”37
In the carbon audit of the Tour de France, travel of the spectators contributed the most to the footprint of the race.38 A study from Cardiff University on the impact of the 2007 Tour de France Grand Depart in London and Kent similarly revealed that the main contributor to the ecological footprint of a Grand Depart was spectator travel; The average person traveling 734 kilometers to attend the event. 59% of the total distance travelled was by air (largely international air travel), which added significantly to the overall footprint.39
One proposed solution to reduce the need for frequent flights in cycling is to reorganise the race calendar so events are scheduled in closer geographic proximity, but nothing has changed (yet). When he can, Guillaume Martin tries to take the train, but any athlete opting for this also needs a team which supports this. This year, I will be going to training camp by train, but the costs are huge compared to a flight. It would be such an easy solution to subsidize trains and tax flying for their carbon footprint, but fossil fuel companies often have significant influence on government policies.40 Lobbying is most intense among resource and energy companies (coal, oil and gas companies f.e.).41 In the Netherlands, the economic importance of flying company KLM lead to policies that are less stringent on environmental grounds.42 So, there is still a balance to be struck between economic interests and environmental goals.
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Transport during races
SKODA is the sponsor of the Tour de France, supplying 250 cars for the race. There are 150 cars in the Tour’s publicity caravan alone. Furthermore it includes a Director’s car, Neutral service cars, accompanying cars (used to transport VIP guests and journalists) and, of course, team cars.43 Each team in the Tour is provided with 2 cars, so for the 22 teams (in 2024).
In addition, teams have giant buses, soigneurs, mechanics, managers, chefs, sponsors and guests to accompany the race as well. Buses will drive from hotel to start to finish to hotel, and chefs from hotel to hotel. Each team typically has one or two buses, which can accommodate around 20-30 people. If we estimate an average of 1.5 buses per team for the 22 teams, that would be an additional 33 buses. Those buses are generally not electrically driven.
SKODA, however, is electrifying the cars they provide. Electric vehicles (EVs) don’t emit pollutants like CO2 and NOx while driving. The initial impact that EVs generate, mainly their batteries, is offset over the vehicle’s lifetime. Studies show that EVs tend to have lower overall emissions when considering their entire lifecycle, from production to disposal. The benefits of EVs depend on the energy sources used to charge them. In regions where electricity doesn’t come from renewable sources like wind, solar or hydro, EVs indirectly use fossil fuels, because the electricity generation relies on that.44 As of 2023, 92% of France’s electricity was generated from clean sources.45
Even though EVs are generally better for the planet, there are downsides. De Volkskrant, a Dutch newspaper, recently released an article about New Caledonia, where mountains and biodiversity are devastated due to the nickel extraction used for lithium-ion batteries in EV's.46 The recycling rate for lithium-ion batteries is currently around 5%, and if not properly handled, the hazardous materials in the batteries like lithium, cobalt and nickel, can leak into the soil and groundwater, causing environmental harm. When they end up in landfill, they can release toxic chemicals and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
The 2022 Tour de France required at least 4,000 km of driving for race support, including transfers, hotel commutes, and the final 545 km from Rocamadour to Paris.47 Fuel consumption varies, with mountain stages using 30-40% more.48
The biggest portion of the race’s vehicle fleet is the publicity caravan: 150 of 250 cars distribute over 18 million promotional items. The caravan, stretching 10 km, includes 30 brands, safety and medical vehicles, and remains a major spectator draw.49
The caravan has grown significantly since 1935, peaking at 219 vehicles in 2006 before being reduced to 180.50 Despite sustainability pledges, plastic giveaways contribute to roadside litter, with little oversight. While carbon audits and electric vehicles help, systemic changes—like calendar reorganization, sustainable travel options, and sponsor accountability—are needed.
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What can we do as individuals?
- Choose sustainable transportation, like walking, cycling or public transportation.
- Trains, in particular, are very low-carbon. Opting for a train instead of a car for medium distances can reduce emissions by roughly 80%. Replacing a domestic flight with a train reduces emissions by around 86%. For example, choosing the Eurostar over a short-haul flight in France could shrink your journey’s carbon footprint by approximately 97%.
- Electric vehicles (EVs) are generally much lower in carbon emissions compared to petrol or diesel cars, especially in regions with cleaner electricity grids (however, they have their downsides as discussed in the article). For domestic travel, even driving solo is usually more sustainable than flying. Sharing a car significantly lowers emissions per person and helps reduce local air pollution and traffic congestion.
- For longer journeys, the environmental impact depends on the mode of travel. Flying has a larger carbon footprint than driving for trips under 1,000 kilometers. However, for longer distances, flying alone often has a slightly smaller footprint per kilometer than driving alone.51
What can teams do?
- Facilitate riders and staff going by train when possible, and make use of other more sustainable ways to travel.
- The biggest difference will not be made by making all cars electrically driven, but by reducing the amount of kilometers driven. So, try to cut down on cars used and kilometers driven.
What can cycling organizations do?
- Limit the amount of cars in the race. Rethink the whole caravan, and have a couple of shared cars with bikes and wheels for every team to use.
- Geographically group races on the calendar to reduce flights and road travel.
- In stage races, exclude long transfers in between stages and plan stages in a logical geographical order.
- A new approach to the publicity caravan in the Tour de France; limit cars, brands and products.
Sponsors
This is a tricky one, because cycling is dependent on sponsors like no other sport. Without them, teams wouldn't exist, races wouldn't exist. But in comparison with the footprint of some of the major sponsors, cycling teams emit a fraction of the carbon. Several top teams are funded by sovereign wealth funds tied to fossil fuels. Ineos Grenadiers, the team with the biggest budget (in 2020) is backed by a major oil and petrochemical giant, promoting a 4x4 vehicle—a far cry from sustainable transport. Ironically, Ineos (when it was Team Sky) once shrink-wrapped its vehicles with plastic branding to promote a campaign by its sponsor to eliminate single-use plastics (SUPs) by 2020.
As another example, Shell recently secured an eight-year sponsorship deal with British Cycling, set to last until 2030. During this time, , Shell plans to invest $46 billion in expanding its oil and fossil gas activities52. For some sponsors, associating with a sport like cycling can be an effective way to reshape their brand image while continuing business activities in energy sectors.
Carbon offsetting
There are some teams and races claiming to offset their emissions, which is positive as it shows the awareness of their own footprint. But, carbon offsetting is not a viable alternative to cutting emissions.
First, what is carbon offsetting? It is the idea that carbon emissions can be calculated and this amount compensated via things like tree planting.
Why isn’t it an viable alternative? Land sector offsets, such as tree planting, are not permanent. The carbon sequestered can be released back into the atmosphere due to natural events like wildfires, droughts, or deforestation. Many offset projects would have happened anyway, without the offset funding, and do not represent true emission reductions. A study found that of the offset projects only 2% had a likelihood of being classed as “additional” (meaning it would not happen without the offset fund).53
Lastly, the carbon sequestration potential is often overestimated. An analysis by Climate Analytics said: “Every tonne of carbon emitted from the fossil fuel industry stays in the atmosphere for far longer than the life of a land-based offset which in Australia, is guaranteed for only 100 years at best. For each tonne of carbon released into the atmosphere, around 40% remains after 100 years, 20-25% remains after 1,000 years, and up to 20% after 10,000 years, centuries after a land-sector offset stops absorbing carbon.”54
For big companies it can be an easy way to enhance their public image and buy off their footprint. But carbon offsetting is a distraction from the real job at hand, which is about reducing emissions at source.
There is a place for carbon offsetting in our road to a better climate, but it has to be done well, and together with reducing emissions at source. Things like reforestation are necessary, but not with the idea to then continue or even expand business as usual. The project must permanently lock away the emissions and tree planting cannot guarantee this. Secondly, the offset project must be in addition to what was going to happen anyway.
Sources:
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