December 10/12 13:48 pm - UCI Announces Final 2013 WorldTour Team Licences

Posted by Editoress on 12/10/12
 

The UCI has announced the names of the final teams to be awarded Division One (WorldTour) licences.  These teams automatically receive entry into all WorldTour and Grand Tour events.  The teams were chosen based on sporting and financial criteria.

The biggest surprise was the rejection of Team Katusha, the team of the 2012 WorldTour champion Joaquim Rodriguez.  The UCI has not announced reasons for rejecting the Katusha application.  Pro Continental team Argos-Shimano moved up to the WorldTour, bumping Katusha.

On November 2nd the UCI registered the teams already holding a current UCI WorldTour licence and whose applications satisfied the registration conditions set out in the UCI regulations:

Astana Pro Team
BMC Racing Team
Cannondale
Lampre - Merida
Omega Pharma - Quick Step Cycling Team
ORICA GreenEDGE
Sky Procycling
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
Movistar Team (registered November 16th)

As a result of the hearings held in November and December, the Licences Commission issued multi-year UCI WorldTour licences to the following teams:

AG2R La Mondiale (2013-2016)
Euskaltel Euskadi (2013-2016)
Former Rabobank (2013-2014)
Garmin Sharp (2013-2014)
Team Argos-Shimano (2013-2016)
Team Saxo - Tinkoff (2013-2014)

Finally, the Licences Commission granted registration for the 2013 season to the following teams for the remaining licences:

FDJ
Lotto Belisol
RadioShackNissan