Cycling: According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, the Spanish Formula 1 superstar Fernando Alonso has asked the world cycling association UCI for a WorldTour guarantee. A decision should be made in the next two weeks.
The background to this procedure is the previous allocation method, after teams have to submit guarantees to the UCI early in the year, but the association itself only informs the teams about the license allocation in November.
Alonso would like to receive such a guarantee in advance. So now it's the UCI's turn. The composition of the team and whether it will start in 2015 will also depend on the verdict. The government in Dubai is being considered as a possible sponsor, and corresponding preliminary contracts for an annual amount of 20 million euros for a period of five years are said to have already been signed. In addition, the designated sports director of the team, the Italian Paolo Bettini, is said to have already held talks with well-known drivers.
It is quite possible that the UCI would accept and perhaps even guarantee the acquisition of another team's WorldTour license. The online portal Cyclingnews.com is speculating primarily about the continued existence of the Giant-Shimano and Cannondale teams.
A decision is expected by the end of the Giro d'Italia on June 1st.