UCI team rankings and GT invites

[Zinoviev Letter]

Ok, so as I understand it, the top 17 teams in the UCI points list are guaranteed invites to the three Grand Tours.

Now, the current list will look like this (assuming Nicolas Roche isn't hit by lightning tomorrow):

1 Astana (KAZ)
2 Rabobank (NED)
3 Saxo Bank (DEN)
4 Team HTC - Columbia (USA)
5 Garmin - Transitions (USA)
6 Team Katusha (RUS)
7 Liquigas - Doimo (ITA)
8 BMC Racing Team (USA)
9 Omega Pharma - Lotto (BEL)
10 RadioShack (USA)
11 Caisse d'Epargne (SPA)
12 Lampre - Farnese Vini (ITA)
13 Cervélo TestTeam (SWI)
14 Euskaltel - Euskadi (SPA)
15 Sky Professional Cycling Team (GBR)
16 Quick Step (BEL)
17 Ag2r - La Mondiale (FRA)

18 Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni (ITA)
19 BBox - Bouygues Telecom (FRA)
20 Cofidis, le Crédit en Ligne (FRA)
21 La Française des Jeux (FRA)
22 Acqua & Sapone - D'Angelo & Antenucci (ITA)

Cervelo won't be around next year. Does this mean that Androni Giocattoli automatically gets the 17 spot? Or does it mean that the GT organisers get an extra wild card team?

For all the teams looking to get a wildcard for the Tour, Roche's performance in the Vuelta is probably good news, as is the demise of Cervelo and the rumoured death of BBox - Bouygues Telecom. If Androne Giocattoli doesn't automatically get 17th, that would mean two less big French teams competing for the spots (and it is all but guaranteed that Ag2r and BBox would take two of the wildcards if they were looking for one). So quite a lot of opportunities for new or smaller teams to get an invite? A tiny silver lining on the huge black cloud caused by the demise of two big teams?

Or am I getting confused by this ridiculously overcomplicated system?

 

[TheDude]

I think I saw something that UCI/ASO has changed-up the entire mix for next year and the old 17 rule is no longer in place.

 

[DAOTEC]

Ok, so as I understand it, the top 17 teams in the UCI points list are guaranteed invites to the three Grand Tours.

Or am I getting confused by this ridiculously overcomplicated system?

Not anymore after yesterday's agreement between UCI and ASO etc.

Yes you are confused look at the report of yesterday Quoted below from this thread: http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=2461

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The Pro-Tour is dead !

UCI and other race organizers (like ASO etc.) strike a deal for a 2011 joined calendar, and the new UCI 2011 race series wil carry the name: World Classification which will replace the Pro-Tour.

So there you have it the whole thing is going to be reshuffeld, and no guarantee of team participation in any grand tour for 2011 in advance, and there will be one ranking again.

This is the outcome of the usual deliberations in the week before Worlds, when the calendar for 2011 is on the agenda.

As Hein Verbruggen claimed in the Dutch press yesterday, that the feud between ASO and UCI is finally resolved.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Not anymore after yesterday's agreement between UCI and ASO etc.

Yes you are confused look at the report of yesterday Quoted below from this thread: http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=2461

Are you sure that the 17 team automatic qualification system is being scrapped for next years invites? As opposed to the system being scrapped for next years rankings, so that the top 17 next year won't be guaranteed places in 2012?

I know that cycling is run in a rather chaotic way, but it seems to me that telling every team all season that top 17 in the PT rankings guarantees a slot in all three GTs and then suddenly changing that without warning, is a good way to get the UCI or ASO or both sued by any top 17 team excluded from a GT. The system will have influenced what races team take part in and what races they place emphasis on, and it would seem easy to argue that the top 17 teams have a legitimate expectation of reserved places.

If you are correct, how exactly will the participants at the 2011 GTs be decided? 20 plus wildcards?