World Tour Wild Cards 2025

[Libertine Seguros]

I get that if you want WT status as a race that there are rules connected to it

Do you also get that those rules have become stricter over time making it more of a closed shop than when most of those organisers signed up?

 

[Berniece]

Do you also get that those rules have become stricter over time making it more of a closed shop than when most of those organisers signed up?

They can always decide to being just a race instead of a WT race

 

[Libertine Seguros]

They can always decide to being just a race instead of a WT race

Sure, then UCI can give their spot to another oil state, they get zero WT teams because the UCI is closing the shop around the big names, and the race can't attract sponsorship and dies. Progress.

But hey, at least we got to see the great benefit of having the same three teams bogart the top 9 places on GC and Lotto got somebody to finish 6th in a sprint and somebody else 17th in GC. Thank God we didn't let the organisers pick somebody of their own choice to enter the race, they might have done something stupid nobody wants to see like helping keep a team in the race's (or the race's sponsors') catchment area alive.

 

[Netserk]

They can always decide to being just a race instead of a WT race

Non-WT races are not allowed to invite all WT teams. See rule 2.1.005.

 

[Berniece]

Non-WT races are not allowed to invite all WT teams. See rule 2.1.005.

Which is ok, since they don't want all WT teams

 

[Netserk]

Which is ok, since they don't want all WT teams

They want optionality. Not to be bound to one or the other every single year.

 

[Berniece]

They want optionality. Not to be bound to one or the other every single year.

Which such rules it's hard to make a league and a ranking, so I get why the UCI wants to do it like this

 

[Netserk]

You don't need to have any league.

 

[Rockestar_33]

talking about teams, Arkea will not even be among the 2 best pro-conti teams, maybe not even the 3rd who gets all WT 1 day races (or fold if they don't find a sponsor by end of April, that's what they said)

we should hope Astana stays in the WT, so either Wanty or DSM or Cofidis will get relegated and they'll skip Giro/Vuelta

the situation in Spain for 2026 will see Euskaltel not having right for a wild card (not in the top 30 teams)

the fight between Uno-X, Tudor, Q36.5 will be strong

Why? Astana have performed like *** for 2 years, and have an extremely checkered past, why should we "hope" they stay up? If they end up digging themselves out of the hole they created credit to them but I'm not hoping they stay up ahead of any other team

 

[AupaPyama]

If the rules are not changed, ideally the World Tour consists of max. 15 teams with the worst 2 teams demoting to PCT and the best PCT to WT each year to prevent Arkea like events.

The GC field can be filled with other PCTs with 7 wildcards. The WT one day races would have up to 10 wildcards. Enough space for the local teams and teams and other PCT's. With 20 PCT's their would be enough to pick from and I don't expect the GC's and other races to pick the same teams like now.

1. UAE
2. Visma
3. Soudal
4. Lidl
5. INEOS
6. Red Bull
7. Groupama
8. Decathlon
9. Bahrein
10. XDS-Astana
11. Movistar
12. Jayco
13. Tudor
14. Israel
15. EF Education First

Mostly international orientated teams and no "one country/trick/man only"-teams. Of course you can debate about above choices (but not picking favorites!). The year end ranking must decide.

A short verdict on the excluded (and thus PCT) teams:
- Alpecin: no climbers / GC riders
- Lotto: no climbers / GC riders except LvE
- Intermarche: team Girmay / no GC riders
- Picnic Post NL: very weak; depends on Onley and Poole
- Cofidis: weak big money "team"
- Arkea: will fold after 2025, no climbers/GC riders/classic riders
- UNO X: nice local PCT
- Total: typically PCT
- Q36.5: one man show





Oh wait... this was the system before the WT and then the UCI wanted to earn some money... . Hopefully the OneCycling initative will not make it a Formula1 happening.

 

[pastronef]

Why? Astana have performed like *** for 2 years, and have an extremely checkered past, why should we "hope" they stay up? If they end up digging themselves out of the hole they created credit to them but I'm not hoping they stay up ahead of any other team

for the sake of wildcards teams, I am talking about that. Cofidis could skip Giro (not Vuelta), same Intermarché, or DSM, while I think Astana, if relegated, will ride the 3 GT anyway.

 

[pastronef]

Kelly and Hatch talking about wild cards, and as every year, it's a gamble.
I think the system is wrong. WT teams should be allowed to skip a GT, but UCI are dumb and crazy. the only "solution" is 1-2 sponsors pulling out and teams folding or 2 teams merging. and no new team coming up.
anyone for an EF-PicNic team? a Cofidis-CajaRural? Arkea folding? a Lotto-Alpecin team?

 

[Berniece]

You don't need to have any league.

So what's the idea then? You can have any race, at any level that the organiser decides themselves, they can send invites to whoever they like, and whoever wants can join the race. There is no structure, and anyone can do what they want? If you win the Roubaix it has no more merit compared to other one day races except for prestige that we as an audience decide?

 

[Netserk]

So what's the idea then? You can have any race, at any level that the organiser decides themselves, they can send invites to whoever they like, and whoever wants can join the race. There is no structure, and anyone can do what they want? If you win the Roubaix it has no more merit compared to other one day races except for prestige that we as an audience decide?

I think the system was better before the ProTour.

 

[pastronef]

I have an idea for 2026 (fantasy cycling eheh): Cofidis and Arkea get relegated. Arkea folds, Cofidis merges with CajaRural, they get the free wild card for Tour and Vuelta and skip the Giro.
Lotto goes through the umpteenth management change and problems and merges with Israel.

18 WT teams
Astana
Decathlon
Soudal
Lotto-Israel
Ineos
Jayco
Alpecin
Movistar
Groupama
EF
Intermarché
Pic-Nic
Lidl-Trek
UAE
Bahrain
Visma
Redbull
and Tudor buying the 18th license (after the Lotto-Israel merge)

Tour: 18 WT, Uno-X, Total, Q36, Cofidis-Caja
Giro: 18 WT, Bardiani, Polti, Q36, Fantini
Vuelta: 18 WT: Cofidis-Caja, Burgos, Kern, Uno-X or Polti

shame that for 2026 Euskaltel won't be top 30 so can't get the Vuelta wild card

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I have an idea for 2026 (fantasy cycling eheh): Cofidis and Arkea get relegated. Arkea folds, Cofidis merges with CajaRural, they get the free wild card for Tour and Vuelta and skip the Giro.
Lotto goes through the umpteenth management change and problems and merges with Israel.

18 WT teams
Astana
Decathlon
Soudal
Lotto-Israel
Ineos
Jayco
Alpecin
Movistar
Groupama
EF
Intermarché
Pic-Nic
Lidl-Trek
UAE
Bahrain
Visma
Redbull
and Tudor buying the 18th license (after the Lotto-Israel merge)

Tour: 18 WT, Uno-X, Total, Q36, Cofidis-Caja
Giro: 18 WT, Bardiani, Polti, Q36, Fantini
Vuelta: 18 WT: Cofidis-Caja, Burgos, Kern, Uno-X or Polti

shame that for 2026 Euskaltel won't be top 30 so can't get the Vuelta wild card

If, and it's a very humongous if, Lotto and Israel merge, Cofidis and Caja Rural do the same, and Arkéa folds, it will likely get a lot easier for Euskaltel to reach the top 30.

 

[pastronef]

If, and it's a very humongous if, Lotto and Israel merge, Cofidis and Caja Rural do the same, and Arkéa folds, it will likely get a lot easier for Euskaltel to reach the top 30.

they are aeons behind, I don't know

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

I have an idea for 2026 (fantasy cycling eheh): Cofidis and Arkea get relegated. Arkea folds, Cofidis merges with CajaRural, they get the free wild card for Tour and Vuelta and skip the Giro.
Lotto goes through the umpteenth management change and problems and merges with Israel.

18 WT teams
Astana
Decathlon
Soudal
Lotto-Israel
Ineos
Jayco
Alpecin
Movistar
Groupama
EF
Intermarché
Pic-Nic
Lidl-Trek
UAE
Bahrain
Visma
Redbull
and Tudor buying the 18th license (after the Lotto-Israel merge)

Tour: 18 WT, Uno-X, Total, Q36, Cofidis-Caja
Giro: 18 WT, Bardiani, Polti, Q36, Fantini
Vuelta: 18 WT: Cofidis-Caja, Burgos, Kern, Uno-X or Polti

shame that for 2026 Euskaltel won't be top 30 so can't get the Vuelta wild card

Lotto isn't merging with anyone anytime soon. Lotto is a government company so every co-sponsor needs to be approved. The red tape that comes with it basically being a state-funded team is also the main thing scaring potential co-sponsors away.
Ideally Lotto just wants a co-sponsor that is very hands off and is just content with their logo being very visible on the jersey.

 

[pastronef]

Lotto isn't merging with anyone anytime soon. Lotto is a government company so every co-sponsor needs to be approved. The red tape that comes with it basically being a state-funded team is also the main thing scaring potential co-sponsors away.
Ideally Lotto just wants a co-sponsor that is very hands off and is just content with their logo being very visible on the jersey.

yep, I was just playing fantasies.

 

[Netserk]

well my Cofidis-Caja merge fantasy wasn't that bad.
Team Israel owner (Adams) has all the money he wants. Lotto is in need of money. but yes, it was a bit far fetched

Better with a GreenEdge merger, Israel-Alula.

 

[pastronef]

Better with a GreenEdge merger, Israel-Alula.

may Gerry Ryan live for many years on and keep funding his team. for now they are fine. well, there's so many riders and staff I like in both teams though

 

[pastronef]

well, the Total-Ineos rumors would mean 1 more spot for wild cards in 2026?

 

[pastronef]

Lukas on twitter wonders if the sponsor Total knows that 2025 is the last year their team get the Tour wild card, and in 2026 it will be too hard against Tudor, Uno-X etc. so they move the sponsorship to Ineos

 

[pastronef]

Exclusive – Cycling's 'super teams' against extra wild cards for Grand Tours, UCI to finally decide on March 26

Uno-X, Tudor, Q36.5, TotalEnergies and race organisers lobbying for 23rd team in the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España

www.cyclingnews.com

super teams against the extra wild card
GT wild cards announced on March 26th

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Exclusive – Cycling's 'super teams' against extra wild cards for Grand Tours, UCI to finally decide on March 26

Uno-X, Tudor, Q36.5, TotalEnergies and race organisers lobbying for 23rd team in the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España

www.cyclingnews.com

super teams against the extra wild card
GT wild cards announced on March 26th

It's all very reminiscent of when they tried to expand out the F1 grid by lowering the barrier to entry seeing as the grid had dwindled to ten teams when there had been almost double that fighting for places on the grid in the late 80s/early 90s. All the existing teams rather like only splitting the income 10 ways (even if they're just making up the numbers at the back of the grid) and kept on neutering the options available to the new teams until they were essentially prevented from having any possibility of having competitive pace, and could just potter around at the back having their own little race for zero points until eventually all going bust and restoring the status quo.