An unintended insight?

[fat and old]

Reading about Deceuninck's move to Alpecin was interesting. The usual Lefevere influences, but this quote by the Deceuninck CEO caught my eye.

“Cycling is not a global sport but you can sponsor a rider for twelve months. Now we are starving (for visibility) from September to February while it’s important the company is in people's minds during that period. Cyclo-cross can take care of that.”

Do sponsors, or the Euro sponsors at least...feel this way? Cycling is a Euro sport?

[RonK]

I would have thought this self-evident.
The sponsors are almost certainly right in that thinking. Only in Europe does cycling rank so highly as a national sport.
Professional cyclists are quite aware that they must race in Europe if they want to reach the top.

[AUbicycles]

Mainly a European race calendar. TDU and Bahrain are the few outside races that can attract a number of international teams, and the quiet period is also why there is so much interest in eSports and growing interest again in Cyclocross (and even Gravel).

Right now with the training camps, it is all about 2023 prep so sponsored riders who are leaving the team are doing the camps with their new teams and starting to wear / present the new kit.