World Tour Wildcards 2026

[Tim Cahill]

Good stuff, their twitter craic is incredibly tedious.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Wow, ASO really wants to see Gaviria go from 1st to 12th in the span of 200m.

 

[pastronef]

Good stuff, their twitter craic is incredibly tedious.

just mute them

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Kern Pharma not getting a return to the Vuelta last year, Burgos going to Omloop, and now Caja getting the Tour invite? Why is it that the very worst products of the wildcard system always seem to involve Spanish teams?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

ahahahhaha caja rural going to the tour de France. What has this sport become man. I hope we get to watch Abel badlerstone attack the UAE train at least once. Jersey unzipped, dancing on the pedals

 

[Eyeballs Out]

So Unibet => Giro instead ?

 

[Rockestar_33]

So Unibet => Giro instead ?

Would make sense. Between Groenewegen, Eiking, Lafay and Poels they have riders at the level.

 

[ingsve]

I so want Unibet at the TDF, even for the reactions on twitter and on the French Gruppetto forum (no love lost there eheh)

What do they have against Unibet?

 

[ingsve]

It currently feels like the overall strength of the PT level is the lowest quality ever especially if you exclude the teams that have auto invites and only look at the teams competing for WCs.

 

[pastronef]

What do they have against Unibet?

chauvinism. they have a French license but they aren't French enough for the Holy Church of FDJ fans standard on that forum

 

[Cycling111]

Caja Rural is a team that was founded in the 80s (it was absent for only a few years), and only two sponsors of WT are older than them.

Last year, they finished ahead Unibet in the UCI rankings. This ranking isn't the most important thing for me, but in the end, with UCI races and all that, it might be justified.

In any case, I don't see the reason for so much disdain for Caja Rural, as if Unibet were a historic, top-tier team.
Lafay? Seriously? Lafay was lost in the 2023 Tour. If Caja Rural had signed Froome, should they have been invited to all the GT? 😅

From the comments, it seems they've left out a star-studded team like UAE or Bora to include a random team from Asia. There isn't that much difference, and ASO can justify it by saying they have a better UCI ranking.

People can be contradictory. Some complain about wealthy teams. This time they're complaining because they've compensated a team that's been working for years instead of a newly rich one.

 

[YavorD]

It currently feels like the overall strength of the PT level is the lowest quality ever especially if you exclude the teams that have auto invites and only look at the teams competing for WCs.

While this might be true, we still exclude 3-4 teams, some of them fairly strong, compared to some years ago. Admittedly, with Arkea folding and Intermarche-Lotto merging, we lost 2 teams, so the PCT level dropped since last year.

But if we remove the 3-4 top PCT teams from.any period in the last 10 years, it wouldn't look strong either. Italian teams took most of the hit.

 

[yaco]

So the two TDF wildcards go to Total Energies and Caja rural.

 

[pastronef]

Vuelta gives invitations to Burgos and Kern Pharma

Burgos is having the times of their lives. 2 Vuelta in a row, Flanders, Omloop, Kuurne, Liege.

let's hope RCS gets Unibet on board

 

[tobydawq]

Ridiculous.

Unibet may not scream Tour level team but Caja Rural sure as hell does not do that either.

 

[Statze2]

Well does Caja Rural really has one Rider who is competitive in a TdF Field? Are they only there to Go in the breakaways in the flat stages? Maybe they Even guaranteed that they will do so… very strange and Not based on Sports or Media attention perspectives.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Gotta say, I'm looking forward to seeing the rockets in the Giro. They can add significant value to the race.

 

[Berniece]

Caja Rural is a team that was founded in the 80s (it was absent for only a few years), and only two sponsors of WT are older than them.

Last year, they finished ahead Unibet in the UCI rankings. This ranking isn't the most important thing for me, but in the end, with UCI races and all that, it might be justified.

In any case, I don't see the reason for so much disdain for Caja Rural, as if Unibet were a historic, top-tier team.
Lafay? Seriously? Lafay was lost in the 2023 Tour. If Caja Rural had signed Froome, should they have been invited to all the GT? 😅

From the comments, it seems they've left out a star-studded team like UAE or Bora to include a random team from Asia. There isn't that much difference, and ASO can justify it by saying they have a better UCI ranking.

People can be contradictory. Some complain about wealthy teams. This time they're complaining because they've compensated a team that's been working for years instead of a newly rich one.

I would hope it's about which team makes the race more exciting. Not sure that's Caja Rural.

 

[Kist]

Caja Rural is a team that was founded in the 80s (it was absent for only a few years), and only two sponsors of WT are older than them.

Last year, they finished ahead Unibet in the UCI rankings. This ranking isn't the most important thing for me, but in the end, with UCI races and all that, it might be justified.

In any case, I don't see the reason for so much disdain for Caja Rural, as if Unibet were a historic, top-tier team.
Lafay? Seriously? Lafay was lost in the 2023 Tour. If Caja Rural had signed Froome, should they have been invited to all the GT? 😅

From the comments, it seems they've left out a star-studded team like UAE or Bora to include a random team from Asia. There isn't that much difference, and ASO can justify it by saying they have a better UCI ranking.

People can be contradictory. Some complain about wealthy teams. This time they're complaining because they've compensated a team that's been working for years instead of a newly rich one.

I mean it's not like the Rockets are actually a rich team.

Concerning Lafay I'm sure most riders want to be lost at the tour like he was in 2023.

 

[Rockestar_33]

In any case, there are 7 open slots and 7 teams eligible for those slots. Caja Rural doing the Tour instead of Giro is pretty immaterial.

 

[Rockestar_33]

Well does Caja Rural really has one Rider who is competitive in a TdF Field? Are they only there to Go in the breakaways in the flat stages? Maybe they Even guaranteed that they will do so… very strange and Not based on Sports or Media attention perspectives.

Oldani I reckon can maybe win a stage.

 

[Statze2]

Caja Rural is a team that was founded in the 80s (it was absent for only a few years), and only two sponsors of WT are older than them.

Last year, they finished ahead Unibet in the UCI rankings. This ranking isn't the most important thing for me, but in the end, with UCI races and all that, it might be justified.

In any case, I don't see the reason for so much disdain for Caja Rural, as if Unibet were a historic, top-tier team.
Lafay? Seriously? Lafay was lost in the 2023 Tour. If Caja Rural had signed Froome, should they have been invited to all the GT? 😅

From the comments, it seems they've left out a star-studded team like UAE or Bora to include a random team from Asia. There isn't that much difference, and ASO can justify it by saying they have a better UCI ranking.

People can be contradictory. Some complain about wealthy teams. This time they're complaining because they've compensated a team that's been working for years instead of a newly rich one.

All of this Are good points, but history, UCI points etc. Are Not brining value to the TdF… The Rockets could bring in Gronewegen a Sprinter that will Contest and can Contest the flat Sprints. In Lafay and Poels two riders who Are capable of a very good Race out of a breakaway. The Rockets Are known for an offensive style of Racing and on top of this, they Are bringing a huge Media attention.
Well, Caja Rural brings history and riders for breakaways in flat stages. What will bring the Sport, the Race, the product better forward?

 

[Kist]

Vuelta gives invitations to Burgos and Kern Pharma

Burgos is having the times of their lives. 2 Vuelta in a row, Flanders, Omloop, Kuurne, Liege.

let's hope RCS gets Unibet on board

Burgos are probably the most blessed horrible team in recent memory.

 

[pastronef]

All of this Are good points, but history, UCI points etc. Are Not brining value to the TdF… The Rockets could bring in Gronewegen a Sprinter that will Contest and can Contest the flat Sprints. In Lafay and Poels two riders how Are capable of a very good Race out of a breakaway. The Rockets Are known for an offensive style of Racing and on top of this, they Are bringing a huge Media attention.
Well, Caja Rural brings history and riders for breakaways in flat stages. What will bring the Sport, the Race, the product better forward?

ASO probably want its own media attention. Unibet doesn't move the needle too much in the big numbers. the TDF probably doesn't even need the % of media attention brought by Unibet.
I hoped they got a spot. let's hope for the Giro (yes the Giro desperately needs media attention)

 

[Kist]

Oldani I reckon can maybe win a stage.

Only if half the peloton crash, and somehow there is a landslide that puts the finish half way through the stage