World’s number one rider excluded; Argos-Shimano steps up after winning Europe Tour
The International Cycling Union (UCI) has rejected the WorldTour application of Katusha as it names the final ten teams to be granted ProTeam registration for 2013. The team is home to 2012 WorldTour winner, and number one ranked rider Joaquim Rodríguez, who now faces the real possibility of missing out on some of the biggest races of the season.
Argos-Shimano is the team to take Katusha’s place, with the Dutch team stepping up after eight years at Professional Continental level, the team has been awarded a licence through 2016. John Degenkolb won the Europe Tour in 2012, with fellow German sprinter Marcel Kittel in second place, which earned the team 16th place in the sporting criterion ranking.
The rest of the top 15 teams in the UCI sporting criterion have all been granted registration; Lotto-Belisol and FDJ were 17th and 18th in the ranking, behind Argos-Shimano, and have also been registered for 2013.
With eight of the teams registered announced on November 2nd, it was widely rumoured that the team to miss out would be either Argos-Shimano or Saxo-Tinkoff. The Danish team was ranked 20th in the UCI’s sporting criterion ranking, published October 29th, largely because the points gained by Vuelta a España winner Alberto Contador could not be taken into consideration following his two-year suspension.
This was not enough to deny it a place in the top spot however, with Katusha rejected.
Europcar was also ranked in the top-20 - in 19th place, ahead of Saxo Tinkoff - but withdrew from the hunt for a WorldTour berth, not wanting to commit to the demands of the complete calendar.
Astana, BMC Racing, Cannondale [currently Liquigas-Cannondale - ed], Lampre-Merida [currently Lampre-ISD - ed], Omega Pharma-Quick Step, Orica-GreenEdge, Team Sky and Vacansoleil were the teams confirmed last month. Of those in the top-15 not named at the time AG2R La Mondiale, Euskaltel-Euskadi, the former Rabobank team and Garmin-Sharp all needed to apply for a new license for the 2013 season and beyond, while Movistar, RadioShack-Nissan and Katusha had to appear before the UCI license commission for other reasons.
Movistar had its registration approved on November 16th, although this was not communicated at the time.
Aside from Katusha, all other teams in the top-15 have been granted registration, with Argos-Shimano, Lotto-Belisol, FDJ and Saxo-Tinkoff also in.
The Katusha application has been forwarded to the UCI administration, where it will be assessed for the possibility of being registered as Professional Continental.
UCI ProTeams named on November 2nd
Astana Pro Team (Kaz)
BMC Racing Team (USA)
Cannondale (Ita) [currently Liquigas-Cannondale - ed]
Lampre-Merida (Ita) [currently Lampre-ISD - ed]
Omega Pharma-Quick Step (Bel)
Orica-GreenEdge (Aus)
Sky Procycling (GBr)
Vacansoleil-DCM (Ned)
UCI ProTeams named on November 16th
Movistar Team (Spa)
Remaining UCI ProTeams named on December 10th
AG2R La Mondiale (Fra)
Argos-Shimano (Ned)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spa)
FDJ (Fra)
Garmin-Sharp (USA)
Lotto-Belisol (Bel)
Former Rabobank (Ned)
RadioShack-Nissan (Lux)
Saxo-Tinkoff (Den)