The management of Pegasus Sports has reacted with shock at the International Cycling Union (UCI) licensing committee's decision to refuse it a second division Professional Continental license. The team originally applied for ProTeam status, the sport’s top level, but when it missed out there it was expected to virtually automatically get “ProConti” status.
“We are shocked that the license was denied,” said Chris White, CEO of Pegasus Sports. “The team was already prepared for the 2011 season and we worked really hard after the news from last week. Significant cost reductions were made and additional sponsorship both from within our existing sponsor base and an external group was gathered, in order to stabilise the team financially in the short term.
“The people within the organisation were at the centre of this action and commitment,” he added, “which is a real testament to the mateship [sic] within the team. We do not want to give up. The team is exploring whether there are other options for next year.”
The team now faces the prospect of spending the 2011 season as a third division Continental team, which is the level at which the Fly V Australia team on which this is based currently sits. The team has signed a number of high-profile riders in an effort to secure the higher level license, including Robbie McEwen, Robbie Hunter and Svein Tuft.
Many of these new acquisitions will be unlikely to be willing to race at Continental level, where they will be ineligible for invitations to any of the biggest races. Many reportedly have get out clauses in their contracts for this very eventuality, meaning White and his team will likely find themselves starting virtually from scratch again next year in their quest to build the first ever Australian team at cycling’s top level.