For there to be a vibrant cycling community for elite athletes to take part in, there has to be a strong community of athletes who will never be ‘elite’, but still want opportunities to race, be part of a team, and part of a community. I suspect that too much is made of the top, top athletes, and not enough focus is put on participation with value.
It’s one thing to say ‘everyone gets a medal’, but if everyone has a chance to have a genuine competition with their at-level peers, there is far more chance they will remain engaged in the sport.