UCI ProTour Council changes ProTour schedule

The UCI ProTour Council (CUPT) met Wednesday in Snekkersten, Denmark to discuss the ProTour series calendar for 2009 and beyond. The council made several decisions in light of the Tour de France no longer being on the UCI's calendar.

In the future, the CUPT is looking to balance the worldwide development of cycling while also supporting traditional events with a ProTour license. Furthermore, the Council expressed its desire to support teams by granting better visibility for team sponsors.

The Inaugural ProTour edition of GP Sochi event in the Sochi region of Russia will take place May 20-24, 2009. Beginning in 2009, the Tour of Poland, which has hitherto taken place in September, will move to the first week of August, beginning on August 2 for next year. The Plouay Grand Prix will take place on August 23 instead of in September.

The CUPT reported that the UCI Road Commission was currently studying the possibility of moving the UCI Road World Championships to the end of August, beginning in 2012. The conclusions of the study will be announced when the CUPT and Management Committee meet in Varese, site of this year's road World Championship, this coming September.

In 2008, the CUPT will not hold a high-level finale event for the ProTour; however, negotiations for such an event are in progress with several candidates for 2009. The Council's decisions are contingent upon events being granted a UCI ProTour licence by the Licensing Commission.

Finally, the Council decided to modify the nationality rule for ProTour team in order "to give teams the flexibility they need while ensuring that riders enjoy working conditions that meet the criteria laid down by the UCI, and guaranteeing consistency in terms of nationality within the teams."