Four fewer than 2012 as Olympic cycle ends; “Fictitious Ranking” to decide early race invites
The International Cycling Union (UCI) has confirmed a list of 33 Women’s Teams that have been registered for the 2013 season; a reduction of four over last year’s total as the four-yearly Olympic cycle comes to an end. The list includes four registered in the United States however - as well as one from Canada - doubling last year’s numbers, with the reduction in numbers coming in cycling’s more traditional nations.
According to UCI rules that govern Women’s Teams [and men’s Continental Teams - ed] the country that a team is registered in is decided by the nationality of the highest number of riders. This means that roster changes at Specialized-lululemon see the team switch from Germany to the United States, while GSD Gestion-Kallisto moves from France - where it has been registered since 2008 - to Canada.
Just as it did last year, the UCI has arranged the 33 teams into what it refers to as a “Fictitious Ranking”, which classifies each team by ranking points form the 2012 season. The ranking is calculated by taking the points of the team’s four best athletes, as well as those points gained by the team in the World team time trial championship.
This classification will determine the teams that must be invited to the big races of the calendar, according to the recently amended UCI rule 2.1.007bis, and 2.14.004. Invitations will be required to be sent as follows:
The top 20 teams of the “fictitious ranking” will automatically be invited to participate in the UCI Women Road World Cup events.
The top 15 teams of the “fictitious ranking” will automatically be invited to participate in Hors Classe (HC) events, a category newly-introduced to the Elite Women’s calendar.
The top 10 teams of the “fictitious ranking” will automatically be invited to participate in Class 1 events.
In addition to this, the top five ranked nations of 2012 - the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, Italy and Great Britain - will automatically be invited to race in Class 1 events (2.1 and 1.1 races) in 2013.
Unsurprisingly, the Rabobank team of World and Olympic champion Marianne Vos is the number one ranked team; in second place Specialized-lululemon [whose roster changes make it one of this year’s extra US-registered teams - ed], however, whose collective results have pushed it close. Australian team Orica-AIS is third - albeit rather further behind - meaning that there are three different nations represented in the top three.
2013 UCI Women’s Teams (in Fictitious Ranking order)
1. Rabo Women Cycling Team (Ned) 2879pts
2. Specialized-lululemon (USA) 2417
3. Orica-GreenEdge (Aus) 1546.75
4. Hitec Products UCK (Nor) 1097
5. Pasta Zara-Cogeas (Ltu) 871
6. Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team (Ned) 817.75
7. RusVelo (Rus) 801.25
8. Cipollini-Giordana (Ita) 771.01
9. BePink (Ita) 767
10. Lotto-Belisol Ladies (Bel) 639.5
11. Team Argos-Shimano (Ned) 632
12. Wiggle-Honda (GBr) 628
13. Sengers Ladies Cycling Team (Bel) 622.34
14. Team Tibco-To The Top (USA) 619.17
15. Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA) 453.67
16. Faren-Let’s Go Finland Team (Ita) 337.67
17. SC Michela Fanini-Rox (Ita) 281
18. Vaiano-Fondriest (Ita) 276
19. China Chongming-Giant Pro Cycling (HKg) 181
20. Team Polaris (Ned) 179
21. GSD Gestion-Kallisto (Can) 174
22. Edergy-Twenty16 (USA) 170
23. Vienne-Futuroscope (Fra) 168
24. Bizkaia-Durango (Spa) 99
25. Topsport Vlaanderen-Bioracer 87
26. Cyclelive Plus-Zannata (Bel) 71.25
27. Lointek (Spa) 54
28. Cramo-Go:Green (Swe) 44.5
29. Team Pratomagno Women (Uzb) 12.25
30. Squadra Scappatella (Aut) 10
31. Top Girls Fassa Bortolo (Ita) 6
- Bourgogne-Pro Dialog (Fra) 0
- Servetto-Footon (Ita) 0