News flash for January 11, 2003

Edited by Jeff Jones

UCI announce remaining Division I teams

The UCI's Professional Cycling Council (PCC) has announced the complete and (almost) final list of Division I teams for 2003, with just a couple of positions to be decided among the Top 30. Although the list numbers 30 teams at the moment, it's possible that Team Index or the Lazarus of the peloton, BigMat.Auber 93, could displace a couple of these once the PCC makes its final decision on January 15, 2003.

Included amongst the recent additions are Team Coast, Team fakta, Domina Vacanze-Elitron, Palmans-Collstrop, Landbouwkrediet-Colnago and CCC-Polsat, which should allow several riders to make decisions as to which team they will ride for this season.

The most contentious addition is that of Team Coast, which is involved in several contract disputes with its riders from 2002. The UCI's Professional Cycling Council admitted this, but allowed the team to register as a Division I squad, and thus make the Top 10 Club, subject to certain conditions.

The UCI's press release stated that "The PCC considered the competitors' complaints and the explanations given by the TT management regarding these disputes, the total amount of which is covered by the team's bank guarantee, and it concluded that the outcome of the said disputes could not be forecast at this time. As a result, the TT will be registered as TT/I subject to the following conditions:

* Application of any measure of control on administrative team management considered appropriate by the relevant departments of the UCI
* Possible increase in the 2002 bank guarantee if new disputes should be reported to the UCI."

Division I squads

Top Club teams

iBanesto.com
Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
Team Coast
Team CSC
Fassa Bortolo
Gerolsteiner
Lotto-Domo
ONCE-Eroski
Rabobank
US Postal Service Presented By Berry Floor

Remaining Division I teams

Ag2R Prevoyance
Alessio
Brioches La Boulangere
Credit Agricole
CCC-Polsat
Jean Delatour
Domina Vacanze-Elitron
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Team fakta
FDJeux.com
Kelme-Costa Blanca
Lampre
Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
Milaneza-MSS
Palmans-Collstrop
Phonak Hearing Systems
Quick Step-Davitamon
Saeco Macchine Per Caffè-Longoni Sport
Sidermec
Team Telekom

For full team rosters, see the Cyclingnews teams database
 
Teams automatically qualified for certain major events
 
Trade Team                                WC   Giro  Tour  Vuelta
 
iBanesto.com                               X     X     X     X
Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone           X     X     X     X
Team Coast                                 X     X     X     X
Team CSC                                   X     X     X     X
Fassa Bortolo                              X     X     X     X
Gerolsteiner                               X     X     X     X
Lotto-Domo                                 X     X     X     X
ONCE-Eroski                                X     X     X     X
Rabobank                                   X     X     X     X
US Postal Service Presented By Berry Floor X     X     X     X
Alessio                                    X     X     X     X
Domina Vacanze-Elitron                     X
Kelme-Costa Blanca                         X     X     X     X
Lampre                                     X
Phonak Hearing Systems                     X
Saeco Macchine Per Caffè-Longoni Sport     X
Sidermec                                   X           X     X
Team Telekom                               X     X     X     X

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2002)