Nationality of teams

[Armchair Cyclist]

I am aware that many teams are registered as being of one nationality while their identity (training bases, nationality of most riders, sponsor bases, even language of website) is firmly based in another, hence three teams that are, to all intents and purposes, Italian riding under an Irish flag, and a fourth claiming, with an equal lack of conviction, to be British.

What throws me is that, according to the pages on the respective teams on the UCI site, Astana is based in Luxembourg, and Katusha in Switzerland. What jurisdiction can the Kazakh and Russian cycling federations claim over these companies that are based outside their territory that means they are registered as teams of those nationalities?

 

[issoisso]

I am aware that many teams are registered as being of one nationality while their identity (training bases, nationality of most riders, sponsor bases, even language of website) is firmly based in another, hence three teams that are, to all intents and purposes, Italian riding under an Irish flag, and a fourth claiming, with an equal lack of conviction, to be British.

What throws me is that, according to the pages on the respective teams on the UCI site, Astana is based in Luxembourg, and Katusha in Switzerland. What jurisdiction can the Kazakh and Russian cycling federations claim over these companies that are based outside their territory that means they are registered as teams of those nationalities?

Whoever they bought the license from had registered the license in those countries. They don't feel like paying a fee to re-register it somewhere else when they have no problem with where it is now.

 

[pmcg76]

Cervelo are also registered in Switzerland, I dont even know what nationality they would be regarded as. Canadian/Dutch!!!

I dont regard HTC-Columbia as a US team, yes, US sponsor and managing company but how many US riders, managers etc.