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.

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:

What does a UCI ProTeam license mean?

As 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).

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
Vond u dit artikel interessant? Laat het uw vrienden op Facebook weten door op de buttons hieronder te klikken!

3 comments | 7667 views

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

Leave a comment

Your name
*
Your e-mail address
*
[this will never be published and is only used to allow me to contact you if necessary and potentially to receive notifications of new comments]
Be informed about new comments
Check this box if you want to receive an e-mail when new comments are posted to this article (please make sure your e-mail address above is correct to make sure you'll receive those notifications!)
Your comment


Attention!! In order to fight spam you need to answer the simple question below. The answer needs to be given as a number between 2 and 100. If your answer is not correct the other input in this form will be ignored.

What is the result of five times three ?


Publish reply