Sunday 15 December 2013 at 22h12

While you recently discovered the renovation project of professional cycling which entirely changes the UCI WorldTour and the status of a UCI ProTeam, the UCI this week announced the list of 18 UCI ProTeams for 2014.

Below you can discover which teams wiill participate in the most important races next year!


The UCI ProTeams get a licence for one or several years and these licences are awarded based on the criteriia sports value, financial, ethics and administrative, knowing that these criteria are evaluated every year, even for a team which still has a valid licence. If you'd like to know exactly how it works, you can check out the article The selection procedure of the UCI ProTeams explained - infographic!
The main difference between a team with a valid licence and a team with a licence which is about to expire or without a licence is that the last mentioned systematically have to present their application to the Licence Commission while the firt mentioned are simply "registered" without having to present to the commission.

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The 18 UCI ProTeams in 2014

On the 1st of November, 9 teams which were in the first group have thus been registered:
  • AG2R La Mondiale (FRA) (until 2016)
  • Belkin Pro Cycling Team (NLD) (until 2014)
  • BMC Racing Team (USA) (until 2014)
  • Cannondale (ITA) (until 2014)
  • FDJ.fr (FRA) (until 2014)
  • Garmin-Sharp (USA) (until 2014)
  • Omega Pharma-QuickStep Racing Team (BEL) (until 2014)
  • Team Katusha (RUS) (until 2015)
  • Team Tinkoff-Saxo (DEN ; was Saxo-Tinkoff) (until 2014)
To this first list, another team with a valid licence was added after a presentation to tte Licence Commission:
  • Lotto-Belisol (BEL) (until 2015)
Furthermore, 6 other teams have received a renewal or a new licence (for the last mentioned team, Bouygues Télécom/Europcar hasn't had a UCI ProTeam licence between 2010 and 2013) after having presented their application to the Licence Commission:
  • Astana Pro Team (KAZ) (until 2016)
  • Lampre-Merida (ITA) (until 2015)
  • Movistar Team (ESP) (until 2016)
  • Orica-GreenEDGE (AUS) (until 2016)
  • Sky Procycling (UK) (until 2016)
  • Team Europcar (FRA) (until 2015)
Two other teams complete the list of 18 teams and these were particular cases. The teams in question are:
  • Team Argos-Shimano (NLD) (until 2014) - it's not clear what happened with their licence since last year this team was announced to be awarded a licence until 2016!
  • Trek Factory Racing (USA) (until 2014) - this team got its licence transferred from the Luxembourgian team Radioshack-Leopard
Here's the complete list of 18 UCI ProTeams for 2014:
The 18 UCI ProTeams for 2014

What does a UCI ProTeam license mean?

UCI WorldTourAs a reminder, the first division cycling teams are called UCI ProTeams (even though the UCI mentions in its rules, in §3 and more specifically in article 2.15.009, a "UCI WorldTour Team licence", as well as in their last press release), and they can thanks to this license participate in all races of the UCI WorldTour calendar (where they're invited by default and are obliged to participate).

Furthermore, they can, if invited, participate in UCI Europe Tour races ranked in the 1.HC or 2.HC class (maximum 70% of the participating teams in such a race) or ranked in the 1.1 or 2.1 class (maximum 50% of the participating teams in such a race), in races of the UCI America Tour, UCI Asia Tour, UCI Oceania Tour or UCI Africa Tour ranked in the 1.HC, 2.HC, 1.1 or 2.1 class (maximum 50% of the participating teams in such a race).

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And the Pro Continental teams?

The second level of teams, the Pro Continental teams, now also have their complete list:
> Androni Giocattoli (ITA)
> Bardiani-CSF (ITA)
> Caja Rural-Seguros RGA (ESP)
> CCC Polsat Polkowice (POL)
> Cofidis, solutions crédits (FRA)
> Colombia (COL)
> Drapac Professional Cycling (AUS)
> IAM Cycling (SUI)
> MTN–Qhubeka (AFS)
> Rusvelo (RUS)
> Team NetApp-Endura (GER)
> Team Novo Nordisk (USA)
> Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise (BEL)
> UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team (USA)
> Wanty-Groupe Gobert (BEL)
> Yellow Fluo (ITA) (anciennement Vini Fantini-Selle Italia)
> Bretagne-Séché Environnement (FRA)

Between 2013 and 2014 we see this list evolve from 20 to 17 Pro Continental teams (it no longer contains Champion System, Sojasun, Europcar, Crélan Euphony, but Drapac Cycling goes one level up).

The other teams will most logically be registered as Continental teams.

door Thomas Vergouwen
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3 comments | 7683 views

this publication is published in: UCI ProTour | Cycling general (except Tour de France)

Comments

There are 3 comments!
  1. C'est assez intéressant, on voit enfin Europcar passer au plus haut niveau. La disparition d'Euskaltel-Euskadi et Vacansoleil ont profité à l'équipe de Jean-René Berneaudeau. On verra enfin cette équipe sur les grandes épreuves internationales où elle n'est généralement pas invitée au profit d'équipes "du coin".

    Cela profiterait également à Bretagne-Séché Environnement qui pourrait participer à son premier Tour de France, suite à la disparition de l'équipe Sojasun. Elle serait logiquement invitée avec l'équipe Cofidis, IAM et peut-être Colombia.

    | Linkinito | Friday 03 January 2014 om 22h56

  2. le choi d'Europcar est logique, mais vu leur effectif, j'ai bien peur qu'ils ne fassent que de la figuration sur 80% des courses a l'echelle du World Tour. Sur le Giro et la Vuelta, ils vont se faire massacrer par exemple. Et ils ont perdu gros pour les classiques avec les departs de Gaudin et Turgot.

    | Yoshi45 | Thursday 09 January 2014 om 21h08

  3. Il n'y a eu aucune surprise pour cette année (guère étonnant).

    Je ne suis pas sûr qu'Europcar puisse peser lourd toute l'année : 1 seul sprinteur (très jeune), 1 grimpeur et 1 puncheur de classe WT.
    Bernaudeau et son équipe a tout intérêt à aligner Rolland sur 2 grands tours (le problème est que la Vuelta s'annonce avec 3 chronos) et faire courir Voeckler sur toutes les épreuves vallonnées et de moyenne montagne du début de l'année (Down Under, Paris Nice, Catalogne, Pays Basques, classiques) et toutes les classiques après le Tour pour être sûr de ne pas finir en queue de peloton !
    Les départs de Gaudin et Turgot ne vont en effet pas soulager l'équipe.

    Linkinito : Bretagne sur le tour, c'est sûr, c'est leur chance (il faut en profiter puisqu'ils ne pourront plus avec la prochaine réforme), mais Colombia ? je verrais plutôt Net-App !

    | Aurélien M. | Friday 10 January 2014 om 10h22

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