UCI announced Professional Continental teams for the 2013 season
The Sport’s Governing body UCI has announced the final list of 19 Professional Continental teams for the new season and unlike the announcement of the World Tour teams, there are not many surprises.
A total number of 21 teams applied for the licence and the Spanish side, Team Andalucia and Team Rusvelo’s application has been denied by the UCI.
Rusvelo is a feeder team for the Russian World Tour side, Team Katusha who received the biggest shock of its professional career, when its World Tour licence was not extended for the 2013 season.
Team Management and the whole squad were devastated as they were not certain of the UCI’s decision.
It was understood that either one of Team Lotto or Team Saxo-Tinkoff’s application will be as Team Katusha quite safely placed with its second overall spot at the UCI World Tour Team’s Rankings for the 2012 season.
It managed a total number of 1273 UCI points with its several top performances throughout the season with Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver chipping in the maximum number of 692 UCI points.
The Spaniard also won the UCI World Tour Elite Men Individual Rankings and was upset upon hearing the news of Katusha licence.
Team Management has brought the issue up to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and awaits the final decision and as per UCI they noted that the decision is made on the basis of “Reasoned Decision” the same term used by USADA when it knocked Lance Armstrong
down for doping.
"All the positions mentioned in this document were considered during held on the 22nd of November 2012 UCI License Commission preliminary hearing,” the team stated.
It further added, “All the information provided by Katusha by its opinion is complete and corresponds the requirements of the UCI License Commission”.
"After receiving the above-mentioned document the Russian team Katusha confirms its determination to defend its rights using all civilized ways in order to receive the World Tour license, including the already made appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS)," Team concludes.
Tam Katusha has still not applied for the Professional Continental licence and is still eligible to apply however, the team is not ready to settle for anything less than the first division as it awaits the CAS decision.
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