World Tour Wildcards 2026

[Tim Cahill]

Not sure excitement of the race would be impacted much with the inclusion of Lukas Kubis and Wout Poels, nothing against them but the racing has been absurd in the past 2 years, there are about 50 complete killers that ride it nowadays. As for PR, 2 billion people watch the Tour de France, I doubt anyone is going to watch a Bas Tietma short and think I’ll give the race a try. Let’s invite Sidemen FC to the World Cup should we.

Team with decades of history and developing youth getting a shot finally is the story here.

I do like some of their riders and hope they get into the Giro, Niklas will fancy his chances against Peter Weening and one of the Bais brothers in the breaks rather than Van Aert and Carapaz, with Pogacar and Vingegaard doing some weird sprint up a HC mountain behind.

 

[Rockestar_33]

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

Or if he gets in a good breakaway and can outsprint them at the end. Y'know, like he did in the Giro a few years ago.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Not sure excitement of the race would be impacted much with the inclusion of Lukas Kubis and Wout Poels, nothing against them but the racing has been absurd in the past 2 years, there are about 50 complete killers that ride it nowadays. As for PR, 2 billion people watch the Tour de France, I doubt anyone is going to watch a Bas Tietma short and think I’ll give the race a try. Let’s invite Sidemen FC to the World Cup should we.

Team with decades of history and developing youth getting a shot finally is the story here.

I do like some of their riders and hope they get into the Giro, Niklas will fancy his chances against Peter Weening and one of the Bais brothers in the breaks rather than Van Aert and Carapaz, with Pogacar and Vingegaard doing some weird sprint up a HC mountain behind.

Caja Rural's history should actually have worked against them here since they haven't raced the Tour once during all those years. CR being in the Tour is like spotting a Polar bear in Arlington, Texas.

 

[pastronef]

at least ASO should have given Dauphiné to Unibet. no, Caja rides that too. too much

 

[tobydawq]

Oldani I reckon can maybe win a stage.

In the Tour?

Lol.

 

[ingsve]

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.

Ya, that's true. It's probably more having 3 guaranteed teams for most GTs and WT races that makes the actual WCs seem weaker.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

You also need to keep in mind that the number of PTs per GT was increased from four to five a couple of years back, if that hadn't happened then Caja would have been highly unlikely to get a wildcard. I don't think the pool of PTs is weaker now than it has been on average in the past decade, there are just three more fish you need to scoop out of that pool.

And in fairness to the three eligible Spanish teams, they are all stronger than they were at the time of the 2022 Vuelta, which remains the worst collective performance of the wildcard teams I've ever seen.

 

[ingsve]

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

Ya, that was mostly out of necessity I heard since not a lot of countries allow sportsbetting sponsors.

 

[pastronef]

You also need to keep in mind that the number of PTs per GT was increased from four to five a couple of years back, if that hadn't happened then Caja would have been highly unlikely to get a wildcard. I don't think the pool of PTs is weaker now than it has been on average in the past decade, there are just three more fish you need to scoop out of that pool.

And in fairness to the three eligible Spanish teams, they are all stronger than they were at the time of the 2022 Vuelta, which remains the worst collective performance of the wildcard teams I've ever seen.

I don't even remember who won the 2022 Vuelta, and you remember how the wild cards did

 

[YavorD]

I don't even remember who won the 2022 Vuelta, and you remember how the wild cards did

I remember Jay Vine starting to bring comparisons with Santi Perez.
Everything else..nah

 

[saunaking]

Ridiculous.

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

Agree, Prudhomme thinks Bas is too big for his britches right now. They have to pay their dues and will be there in '27

 

[RedheadDane]

ASO saw that Unibet has signed Larsen, and got scared.






(At least that's what I choose to believe.)

 

[theyoungest]

Ridiculous.

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

Exactly. This choice is just a very deliberate middle finger to Tietema. I'm not his biggest fan, but it's pretty clear that in terms of impact on the race, and attention around it, they would be by far the better choice.

They're trying to do everything right, and Prudhomme's response is "you're trying too 'ard. You must not zink zis is how you please ze French." Probably next year they'll not be French enough. The ASO and UCI are truly in lockstep when it comes to making the worst possible decisions for the furtherment of the sport.

 

[harrybo]

really bad news today , I,m gutted for the Rockets and Bas, from Prudrommes comments he clearly not a fan, well I am and theres a lot more Rocketeers out there than those other wild card ones. and there would of been alot of of them on the road side too. I,m heading to Barcelona for the first 2 stages, at this moment in time I couldnt be a....probably get over this in a few days, but i,ll bring my rockets shirt and find Mr holyier than thou... need to brush up on my french tho

 

[pastronef]

Exactly. This choice is just a very deliberate middle finger to Tietema. I'm not his biggest fan, but it's pretty clear that in terms of impact on the race, and attention around it, they would be by far the better choice.

They're trying to do everything right, and Prudhomme's response is "you're trying too 'ard. You must not zink zis is how you please ze French." Probably next year they'll not be French enough. The ASO and UCI are truly in lockstep when it comes to making the worst possible decisions for the furtherment of the sport.

the TDF/ASO main target is the general public. Unibet does not even move the needle. ASO behave like the big boss and probably had enough of the "to the Tour and beyond" stance of Unibet since a few months. they said. WE DECIDE, whatever you can do or say.
you'll see Unibet be more careful in their TDF communication next year, and they might get a spot
let's hope RCS invited them though

 

[theyoungest]

the TDF/ASO main target is the general public. Unibet does not even move the needle. ASO behave like the big boss and probably had enough of the "to the Tour and beyond" stance of Unibet since a few months. they said. WE DECIDE, whatever you can do or say.
you'll see Unibet be more careful in their TDF communication next year, and they might get a spot
let's hope RCS invited them though

The general public is exactly the reason why Tietema should be in. Of course that team moves the needle. My little cousin has no idea who any of these Caja Rural guys is (or who Jonas Vingegaard is, for that matter) but he knows the Rockets. Don't underestimate the power of the internet.

Prudhomme is a proud homme but he should know what is good for him and his organisation and swallow his pride. It's almost infuriating how much better F1 is at these kind of marketing decisions. That's why millions of teenage girls all over the world are fans of Lando Norris but not of Tadej Pogacar.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

the TDF/ASO main target is the general public. Unibet does not even move the needle. ASO behave like the big boss and probably had enough of the "to the Tour and beyond" stance of Unibet since a few months. they said. WE DECIDE, whatever you can do or say.
you'll see Unibet be more careful in their TDF communication next year, and they might get a spot
let's hope RCS invited them though

In most professional sports, you can't do what the ASO have done........it's amateur, and picking favourites/ not picking teams you have taken a dislike to.

It's the equivalent of the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) deciding they don't like AstonMartin, and not allowing them to race the Monaco GP.........It couldn't happen because race organisers don't hold that power in motorsport......
Another reason the World Tour needs to be run by one single entity - not all these different race organisers.......it's shoddy, and allows for favouritism..........

 

[search]

I of course didn't really expect it to happen anymore after Unibet signed Lafay, but I'm actually happy to see a Spanish team at the Tour for once. They have done enough in the past decade to earn that invitation to the biggest race in the world. Shows that you can't just force your way into the Tour, and Unibet is a better fit for the Giro anyway.

 

[Kist]

The general public is exactly the reason why Tietema should be in. Of course that team moves the needle. My little cousin has no idea who any of these Caja Rural guys is (or who Jonas Vingegaard is, for that matter) but he knows the Rockets. Don't underestimate the power of the internet.

Prudhomme is a proud homme but he should know what is good for him and his organisation and swallow his pride. It's almost infuriating how much better F1 is at these kind of marketing decisions. That's why millions of teenage girls all over the world are fans of Lando Norris but not of Tadej Pogacar.

I agree. In my area the Rockets are the only pro team whose kit I regularly see cyclists wear.

Besides the average Cycling fan is relatively old. The Rockets absolutely appeal to a younger audience, for all the reasons Prudhomme and the ASO hate them.