The International Cycling Union (UCI) was released the list of teams that had submitted their application file in time for the October 1st deadline. The list includes twenty teams, which are in line for ProTeam status (currently called ProTour status); ten of those will carry their existing license forward, while the other ten are either applying to renew an existing license or for a new one altogether.
With ten places already taken, the ten teams that are applying are fighting for eight vacant spots.
The list differs from one published in mid August, which listed fourteen teams applying for the eight vacancies. Missing from the list are Team Milram, which is folding at the end of the year, and Bbox Bouygues Telecom, which managed to secure a sponsor for 2011 in the shape of car rental company Europcar but after losing many key riders is expected to stay at Professional Continental level.
The other two missing names are more surprising though; Team Astana, the current team of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, and Pegasus Sports, currently racing at Continental level as Fly V Australia, are both assumed to be applying for the status in 2011.
The UCI also included another list of teams, which are applying for Professional Continental status, the sport’s second division. Many of these teams are also looking to move up a level in 2011, from Continental status, but there are also expected names missing here; Europcar is also missing from this list, as is the American Team Type 1 and French team Bretagne-Schuller.
The list of fifteen teams is considerably shorter than the number of existing ProConti teams in 2010, currently twenty, although this is partly because many are looking to rise to ProTeam level.
The UCI has verified that several teams missing from today's initial announcement of applicants for ProTour and ProContinental licences may still be able to lodge successful applications.
“1st October was the deadline to submit the UCI complete files (both for ProTeam and ProConti),” UCI Chief Press Officer Enrico Carpani told Velonation today. “This step was set in order to give the riders the chance to get free from their contract (until 31st October) with teams missing on this first list without paying any penalties.
“However, teams who were not complying with all requirements at 1st October can still fulfil the application and get their licence.
“Bbox will now apply as ProConti, Astana and Pegasus as ProTeam,” he confirmed, “Milram won't continue next year.”
Although Carpani made no mention of Team Type 1, it is assumed that it is in a similar position.
UCI ProTeams in possession of a UCI ProTeam licence for 2011
AG2R-La Mondiale
Team Katusha
Lampre-ISD (currently Lampre-Farnese Vini)
OmegaPharma-Lotto
Quickstep Cycling Team
Rabobank Cycling Team
Saxo Bank-Sungard (currently team Saxo Bank)
Sky Procycling
Team Garmin-Cervélo (a merger between current ProTour team Garmin-Transitions and the Cervélo TestTeam)
Team RadioShack
Teams applying for the renewal of a UCI ProTeam licence for 2011
Euskaltel-Euskadi
FDJ
Geox-TMC (currently Footon-Servetto)
HTC-Highroad (currently HTC-Columbia)
Liquigas-Cannondale (currently Liquigas-Doimo)
Telefonica Movistar (currently Caisse d’Epargne)
Teams applying for a new UCI ProTeam licence for 2011
BMC Racing Team
Cofidis
Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project (new team)
Vacansoleil – DCM Procycling Team (currently Vacansoleil)
UCI Professional Continental Teams
Andalucia Caja Granada (currently Andalucia-Cajasur)
Androni Giocattoli
Caja Rural (currently Continental)
CCC-Polsat-Polkowice
Colnago-CSF Inox
De Rosa-Ceramica Flaminia (a merger between De Rosa-Stac Plastic and Ceramica Flaminia-Bossini Docce)
Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli (currently ISD-Neri)
Landbouwkrediet
NetAPP (currently Continental)
Saur-Sojasun
Skil-Shimano
Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
United Healthcare Presented By Maxxis (currently Continental)
Verandas Willems (currently Continental)