Cycling: The 2019 WorldTour season is over. Planning for the coming year is already in full swing. But first it has to be clarified which teams will receive a license for the highest league of cycling. David Lappartient has now announced some details for the first time.
Will Arkéa – Samsic not get a WorldTour license?
18 teams have been in the top league of cycling in recent years. This will probably change in 2020. As UCI President David Lappartient announced at the UCI Cycling Gala in China, 19 teams currently meet the sporting criteria for a WorldTour license. In addition to the 18 teams already active in the WorldTour, the French team also counts Cofidis in addition. Arkéa - Samsic does not appear in the published list. According to the UCI, the new team from Nairo Quintana (Movistar) does not seem to meet the sporting criteria. The Colombian would have to accept a first setback. In the new season would be Arkea – Samsic therefore constantly dependent on invitations from the organizers, which with 19 fixed starting places for the WorldTour teams shouldn't be that easy. However, the final decision on issuing the licenses for the years 2020 to 2022 will not be made until December. David Lappartient also announced that he would only issue 2022 licenses for the WorldTour after 18.
Almost certain: Cofidis will join the WorldTour as the 19th team
Cofidis team boss Cédric Vasseur should be happy that his team will probably be able to take part in all WorldTour races in the coming season. Because the ex-professional has set a lot in motion to obtain the license. Among others, top sprinter Elia Viviani (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) will start next year for the team that has existed since 1997. Even if Cofidis was never one of the most successful teams in its more than 20-year history, but we can look back on a number of successes. David Moncoutie, for example, won the Tour de France mountain jersey several times wearing the team's colours. In 1998, Bobby Julich took third place overall and Cofidis won the team classification. After the ProTour license was not renewed for 2010, Cofidis was always dependent on a wildcard in major races.
Total Direct Énergie & Wanty – Gobert enjoy a special status
The status of the Swiss racing team has not yet been finally clarified Katusha-Alpecin. Nils Politt and Rick Zabel's team is currently in talks with the Israel Cycling Academy, who could take over the license of the team. Since the racing team appeared in the published list, the first tests seem to have been promising. Not being issued a WorldTour license from 2020 to 2022 Total Direct Energy and Wanty-Gobert. Nevertheless, due to the UCI rules, we will probably see them quite often. As the most successful ProContinental team, Total Direct Énergie is rewarded with an invitation to all races in the highest cycling class. As the second best team, Wanty - Gobert can look forward to wildcards for all classics.