UCI announced full list of 2011 ProTeams
At the beginning of November, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced the first four ProTeams and a list of all UCI-licenced teams ranked according to their sporting ability. Today, the UCI released the full, 18-team list
for 2011.
Three of the first four teams awarded ProTeam licences were in the top five according to the rankings, namely Omega Pharma-Lotto, Garmin-Cervélo and Rabobank. The fourth team awarded a top-level license was Team Sky, ranked at number
eight. Topping the ranking was the new Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project, and completing the top-five was HTC-Highroad.
Also being awarded ProTeam licences are Lampre-ISD, Katusha, Liquigas-Cannondale, Saxo Bank SunGard, Team RadioShack, Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team, Pro Team Astana, Movistar Team, BMC Racing Team, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Quick Step
Cycling Team and AG2R.
Today’s announcement confirmed that the full list of 18 ProTeams were culled from the top-20 ranked teams, with only 17th placed team Geox and 19th placed team Cofidis missing out. They are both expected to compete
with a Pro Continental licence in 2011, though the complete list of Pro Continental teams will be announced on December 10.
“What this means is that we can certainly prepare the team better and have more opportunities for success throughout the year,” said Jim Ochowicz, president of new ProTeam BMC-Racing. “We are proud to be included as members in this prestigious group and
thank the UCI for their confidence.”
The 18 confirmed ProTeams will receive automatic invitations to every race in the WorldTour calendar, which begins in January with the Tour Down Under and includes all three Grand Tours – the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana – as well as
new non-European races the Tour of Beijing and Canadian one-day race the GP Quebec and GP Montreal.
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