The cycling world is awaiting the UCI’s imminent decision

When the cycling season comes to an end, teams finalize their structures and plan their agendas, while cycling organizations take stock of how the year went and outline guidelines for upcoming campaigns. And when it comes to cycling organizations, two of the most relevant are the International Association of Cycling Race Organizers (AIOCC) and the International Cycling Union (UCI).

After the last meeting of the AIOCC, the desire to continue the fight against doping and to increase the prize money for the runners in the tests became clear. World Tour. More crumbs with the final ’round table’ of the UCI, especially as all the teams and cyclists are waiting to know the official list of 18 teamss World Tour that in the period between 2023 and 2025 they will be active in the highest professional category of cycling. Barring one big surprise, the Pro Tour lineups from 2023 to 2025 are, in this order, Jumbo-Visma, Quick-Step Alpha Vinly Team, Ineos Grenadiers, UAE Team Emirates, Bora-hansgrohe, Bahrain Victorius, Groupama-FDJ, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Trek-Segafredo, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, Movistar Team, AG2R Citroën Team, Astana Qazaqstan Team, EF Education-Easy Post, Cofidis, Team DSM, Team Arkéa-Samisc and Team BikeExchange-Jaco. These will be the 18 best teams in the world and thanks to the points achieved in previous years, they will not have, for example, any problem competing in any great cycling tour. behind them, the Lotto Soudal yesl Total Energythe two best ProTeams, and the Israel-Premier Techwhich would be the 21st best team and therefore in the category.

And this is one of the problems on the table. The teams have known for many years that at the end of 2022 the points obtained will be reviewed and depending on them they can lose the category, which has prompted many, such as Movistar, to be forced to change the their first plans to not suffer. in the end.. Others, like Israel, tried, but failed in the attempt, and that’s where one of the problems arises, because the development tycoon Adams is thinking of suing the UCI for this decision, saying no they sign any paper in which the refusals are reported, it may be, but everyone has been warned.

In Monte Carlo The desire of the UCI to be more strict in the fight against doping, in improving safety on the roads and in increasing respect for the environment was also made clear, and yes, two topics were put on the table that could lead to being important.

The decision that affects the Spanish peloton

One of these is changing the current distribution of points, so that there are no ‘small’ races that award more points than can be earned in a larger test or a grand tour. Something that has happened so far and ‘changed a little the natural order of the peloton, shook the foundations of the building of cycling, although it is also true that it opened the fan, which democratized cycling.

The next transcendent point will not be a relevant application, but it will have its importance, and that is that in principle in 2024 it will be approved that the teams invited by a great cycling tour must be among the top 50 in rank; which eases the pressure on the organizers themselves. For example, every year the Vuelta faces the dilemma of which teams it can invite to the event, beyond the 18 ProTours and the two ProTeams. You have two invitations for four candidates: Burgos-BH, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Kern Pharma team and Euskaltel-Euskadi, which always causes controversy. The UCI wants to go further and allow that only in 2025 the top 40 in the rankings can qualify for two ‘wildcards’ and in 2026 only the top 30 in the rankings.

Although, first, we have to wait for the first statement from the UCI about how the teams are framed for the next phase, 2023-2025, keeping intact the number of cyclists that the teams can line up in races: 8 on great tours, Giro, Tour and Vueltaand seven in other tests.