Which Teams for World Tour next year?

[Mambo95]

Hate the game, not the player.
I am 100% against teams getting into WT on first season, but them the rules, and at least greenedge respected other teams contracts unlike sky etc did.

You may be 100% against it, but you're not the one paying for the sport. The business model of the sport means that big investors are needed on a regular basis and such investors need to be encouraged. It's not pretty but that's the way it is. If you want to blame someone, then blame the ASO etc, who don't share out the TV money.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

You may be 100% against it, but you're not the one paying for the sport.

such a dumb argument. Obviously, but I am on a forum to voice my opinion.

You may be 100% against it, but you're not the one paying for the sport. The business model of the sport means that big investors are needed on a regular basis and such investors need to be encouraged. It's not pretty but that's the way it is. If you want to blame someone, then blame the ASO etc, who don't share out the TV money.

I fail to see how waiting one year for WT status is gonna equate the end of the sport financially. The business model probably needs to be reshaped in that case. Not hard to see that there are many flaws in the current operation of the WT. Big investorts want to be at the big races; tour etc. The WT just provides a form of access. I'm sure other 'business models' can be created with better outcomes.

 

[Arnout]

Compare it to football. Cycling is the only sport in which you can buy promotion.

You cannot buy a Championship club and only by buying players get promoted to the Premier League at the cost of a team that managed to avoid regelation, but because they didn't have money to buy players were regelated anyway, to "help the sport".

Its bull****. That's my problem with it.

 

[craig1985]

it really is disgusting to see big teams just jumping their way straight to world tour status simply because they have money to hire a truckload of riders or in greenedge's case a truckload sprinters, who gain way too much points in this rankings. . . .

I tend to agree, atl east teams like BMC and Garmin came up the ranks to gain Pro Continental Status and eventually WT status (like BMC did the year).

 

[roundabout]

Actually Garmin had it quite easy based on their "clean team" publicity. They got to race the Giro, Tour, Tirreno - Adriatico, Ronde, Paris - Roubaix, Volta a Catalunya, Giro di Lombardia, Paris - Tours, Milano-Sanremo, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Paris-Nice, Fleche, Amstel in 2008 as a second year pro continental team. They were 1/2 Pro Tour in 2008.

Edit: BMC raced 19 of the 26 World Ranking events in 2010.

 

[asdfgh101]

When will the UCI announce which teams have been granted pro-conti licenses?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Actually Garmin had it quite easy based on their "clean team" publicity. They got to race the Giro, Tour, Tirreno - Adriatico, Ronde, Paris - Roubaix, Volta a Catalunya, Giro di Lombardia, Paris - Tours, Milano-Sanremo, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Paris-Nice, Fleche, Amstel in 2008 as a second year pro continental team. They were 1/2 Pro Tour in 2008.

Edit: BMC raced 19 of the 26 World Ranking events in 2010.

Well, yes. Both teams were clever, well run, and big budget by Pro-Conti standards. It's not surprising that they got a lot of invites before they formally made the top division. But it also wasn't guaranteed.

In theory, the World Tour system is supposed to allow a team to say to a potential big sponsor "if you pony up x amount of cash, your brand will be in the Tour de France (and some other races you probably don't care about)". If you force that team to instead say "if you pony up x amount of cash, your brand might just possibly be in the Tour next year and stands a better chance the year after" then you discourage that sponsor. Some sponsors might react by going to an already established team instead (and that's not a problem) but others won't see a suitable already established team and will simply back out.

An almost uniquely weak team structure entirely dependent on sponsorship throws up all kinds of unpleasant consequences.

 

[just some guy]

Front page reporting old skil still a chance for WT if Geox goes under.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Front page reporting old skil still a chance for WT if Geox goes under.

They really don't have the depth of team for it.

 

[just some guy]

They really don't have the depth of team for it.

And Greenedge saxo EE do ?

Not many teams do.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

And Greenedge saxo EE do ?

Not many teams do.

There's a case to be made that none of the teams you mention do. But Skil are particularly egregious in that regard. They have two very good young sprinters, but the rest of their team is really pretty poor.

I mean, Euskaltel are a notoriously unbalanced team and they do nothing but take up a valuable space at races like Paris Roubaix. But they do have a whole bunch of very good climbers, including three of the best around and a number of strong domestiques. They do have more than two high quality riders.

 

[theyoungest]

There's a case to be made that none of the teams you mention do. But Skil are particularly egregious in that regard. They have two very good young sprinters, but the rest of their team is really pretty poor.

Degenkolb is not their only signing, you know. Some serious talent going to that team. Whereas Euskaltel is likely to stay on more or less the same level.

That being said, I think neither of the two belongs in the WT.

 

[fanadian]

When will the UCI announce which teams have been granted pro-conti licenses?

"for UCI Professional Continental Teams, the registration process will be completed by 1st November if no irregularities are brought to notice. "
-UCI Press Release, October 5

 

[Anonymous]

Front page reporting old skil still a chance for WT if Geox goes under.

front page article now vanished, and velonation reporting that the UCI say no chance.

http://t.co/13CHwPbU

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Compare it to football. Cycling is the only sport in which you can buy promotion.

You cannot buy a Championship club and only by buying players get promoted to the Premier League at the cost of a team that managed to avoid regelation, but because they didn't have money to buy players were regelated anyway, to "help the sport".

Its bull****. That's my problem with it.

you are of course right, but I can't fault the teams for exploiting the system. I really dislike that greenedge, sky etc get straight in also. But it is the systems fault, it just sucks.

Also I'd rather see the WT stay at 15 or 16 then seeing incomplete teams join the WT. At the same time greenedge certainly aren't balanced enough for WT either. Maybe a few others too.

 

[danjo007]

you are of course right, but I can't fault the teams for exploiting the system. I really dislike that greenedge, sky etc get straight in also. But it is the systems fault, it just sucks.

Also I'd rather see the WT stay at 15 or 16 then seeing incomplete teams join the WT. At the same time greenedge certainly aren't balanced enough for WT either. Maybe a few others too.

i disagree with nearly everything you write !

 

[daveinzambia]

Compare it to football. Cycling is the only sport in which you can buy promotion.

You cannot buy a Championship club and only by buying players get promoted to the Premier League at the cost of a team that managed to avoid regelation, but because they didn't have money to buy players were regelated anyway, to "help the sport".

Its bull****. That's my problem with it.

Surely the point is if a team avoids relegation, then sells all of the players that saved relegation and bought in a bunch of league 2 players then should that team remain in the Premiership. having it there will result in boring one sided games.

still think that a 50 - 50 split of points between rider and there old team is fair. gives benefit to old team and increases their chances of staying in and means you will need a radioshack / BMC style roster to make the jump into pro tour.

 

[Archibald]

Compare it to football. Cycling is the only sport in which you can buy promotion.

You cannot buy a Championship club and only by buying players get promoted to the Premier League at the cost of a team that managed to avoid regelation, but because they didn't have money to buy players were regelated anyway, to "help the sport".

Its bull****. That's my problem with it.

why not? It worked for Arsenal - bribed their way into the top division

 

[Richeypen]

why not? It worked for Arsenal - bribed their way into the top division

Send them back to Woolwich

 

[Mondrian]

I think some teams have managed to get a bit of a following through the combination of results, location, staying power, team kit etc - Moviestar, Garmin, lotto, quick-step are some that pop up but UCI could make the system a bit more sponsor friendly by awarding 50% of the points gained to the team and 50% to the individual riders - after all behind every great rider there is a team of 50 or so professional working just as hard (including riders, DS, mechanics etc) - the business model for cycling really sucks and the problem is UCI which like any other organization is political and hence not business orientated.

 

[luckyboy]

UCI announcement today - http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENe...es/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuID=MTYxNw&LangId=1

Astana, BMC, Garmin-Cervélo, Lampre-ISD, Liquigas-Cannondale, Movistar, Rabobank and Sky confirmed for the WorldTour.

Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s, Androni Giocattoli, Acqua & Sapone, Bretagne - Schuller, Caja Rural, Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne, Colnago – CSF Inox, Colombia - Coldeportes, Landbouwkrediet, Project 1t4i, Saur - Sojasun, Spidertech powered by C10, Team Netapp, Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator, UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team confirmed for ProContinental Tour.

Vacansoleil and RadioShack have to be called before the License Commission, along with Katusha, AG2R, Saxo, Geox, FDJ, Europcar, Euskaltel, QST, GreenEdge, Lotto.

"The teams Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team and RadioShack-Nissan will also be heard by the Licence Commission in accordance with article 2.15.071 of the regulations." This means that the UCI has been unable to register the teams...

 

[jens_attacks]

UCI announcement today - http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENe...es/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuID=MTYxNw&LangId=1

Astana, BMC, Garmin-Cervélo, Lampre-ISD, Liquigas-Cannondale, Movistar, Rabobank and Sky confirmed for the WorldTour.

Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s, Androni Giocattoli, Acqua & Sapone, Bretagne - Schuller, Caja Rural, Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne, Colnago – CSF Inox, Colombia - Coldeportes, Landbouwkrediet, Project 1t4i, Saur - Sojasun, Spidertech powered by C10, Team Netapp, Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator, UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team confirmed for ProContinental Tour.

Vacansoleil and RadioShack have to be called before the License Commission, along with Katusha, AG2R, Saxo, Geox, FDJ, Europcar, Euskaltel, QST, GreenEdge, Lotto.

"The teams Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team and RadioShack-Nissan will also be heard by the Licence Commission in accordance with article 2.15.071 of the regulations." This means that the UCI has been unable to register the teams...

what is geox still doing there?

 

[LaFlorecita]

UCI announcement today - http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENe...es/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuID=MTYxNw&LangId=1

Astana, BMC, Garmin-Cervélo, Lampre-ISD, Liquigas-Cannondale, Movistar, Rabobank and Sky confirmed for the WorldTour.

Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s, Androni Giocattoli, Acqua & Sapone, Bretagne - Schuller, Caja Rural, Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne, Colnago – CSF Inox, Colombia - Coldeportes, Landbouwkrediet, Project 1t4i, Saur - Sojasun, Spidertech powered by C10, Team Netapp, Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator, UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team confirmed for ProContinental Tour.

Vacansoleil and RadioShack have to be called before the License Commission, along with Katusha, AG2R, Saxo, Geox, FDJ, Europcar, Euskaltel, QST, GreenEdge, Lotto.

"The teams Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team and RadioShack-Nissan will also be heard by the Licence Commission in accordance with article 2.15.071 of the regulations." This means that the UCI has been unable to register the teams...

And that means??

 

[luckyboy]

They've had their requests for licenses rejected, so they'll have to join the other teams and go to the licensing commission.

That rule states....

2.15.071 If the UCI administration decides that it is unable to register the UCI ProTeam, it will notify the
licence holder and the paying agent. Unless the holder renounces the licence, the UCI administration
will refer the case to the licence commission:
1. The licence commission summons the UCI ProTeam to a hearing with a minimum of 10 days'
notice, unless otherwise agreed with the UCI ProTeam;
2. The applicant must lodge any documents in support of his registration application to the commission in three copies, with one copy to the UCI, at least 5 days before the date of the hearing. Documents lodged after this deadline shall be automatically disregarded;
3. At least 5 days before the date of hearing, the UCI ProTeam shall notify the licence commission
and the UCI of the identity of those persons who will represent him or attend the hearing. The
licence commission may refuse to hear any persons not notified within this time;
4. The UCI may participate in the hearing. The auditor appointed by the UCI may be heard at the
request of the UCI ProTeam, the UCI or the licence commission;
5. The licence commission shall apply the assessment criteria set out in article 2.15.011a ff.
Should the licence commission refuse the registration, the UCI ProTeam's licence is automatically
withdrawn. The decision is subject to appeal to the CAS. Furthermore, the licence commission will
pass on the application documentation to the UCI administration so that the latter can assess the
possibility of registering the team as a professional continental team.
The UCI ProTeam shall be represented before the licence commission by the licence holder or, with
the agreement of the latter, by the paying agent

 

[luckyboy]

We don't know why they were rejected. They've failed one of the sporting, administrative, financial or ethical criteria.

Basically, two of Vacansoleil and RadioShack, Katusha, AG2R, Saxo, Geox, FDJ, Europcar, Euskaltel, QST, GreenEdge, Lotto aren't going to be WorldTour next year.

edit: Well, we know neither of the teams failed the sporting criteria, because that was published last week.