A paper titled "Tour de France, Giro, Vuelta, and classic European races show a unique progression of road cycling speed" notes a significant 6.38% improvement in professional cycling performance over the last 20 years.
The study "TV Demand for the Tour de France: The Importance of Stage Characteristics versus Outcome Uncertainty, Patriotism, and Doping" found that live viewership is largely driven by the specific profile of the stage (mountains vs. flat) rather than just the uncertainty of who will win. Tours Vuelta a Francia en Vivo
As the live product improved, the value of TV broadcasting rights skyrocketed, allowing the organizers (ASO) to become the sport's most powerful actors. A paper titled "Tour de France, Giro, Vuelta,