The UCI released the official list of teams applying for WorldTour and ProTeam licences for 2026, and while the majority of the teams will remain in their same category, there have been a few significant shifts.
First, the number of teams applying for WorldTour and Women's WorldTour licences exceed the maximum allowed, meaning there will be teams that do not make the cut when the UCI finalizes its process.
There were 20 men's teams applying for WorldTour licences and a maximum of 18 allowed. Jayco-AlUla and the Liv-AlUla-Jayco women's team were not listed as having met the October 15 deadline, but presumably have WorldTour licence applications pending.
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Intermarché-Wanty did not apply for a licence as their merger with Lotto is still pending. If the deal goes through, the team appears to plan to operate under Lotto's licence.
With the announcement that the Arkéa-B&B Hotels team would end after their sponsorship hunt failed, and Intermarché not applying for a licence. With Cofidis likely facing relegation after failing to meet the sporting criteria of being in the top 18 of the 2023-2025 team rankings, that opens up three new positions in the WorldTour for 2026 to 2028.
Of the 2023-2025 WorldTour teams, 15 are set to continue in the top tier of pro cycling, while four ProTeams applied to step up to the WorldTour: Lotto, Uno-X Mobility, Israel-Premier Tech (applying as Cycling Academy), and Q36.5 (applying as Pinarello-Q36.5). However, Q36.5 did not make the top 18 necessary to earn a WorldTour licence.
Uno-X Mobility, Lotto and Cycling Academy should get into the WorldTour if they meet the financial, ethical and organisational criteria.
On the ProTeam side, the numbers are due to shrink as three are likely to move to the WorldTour and the Wagner Bazin WB team close down.
Two new teams - George Hincapie's Modern Adventure Pro Cycling and the Italian continental outfit MBH Bank CSB Ballan - have applied for ProTeam licences, bringing the likely total for 2026 to 15, down from 17 this year.
On the women's side, the UCI stated in their press release that 16 teams applied for Women's WorldTour licences, but list only 14 as having met the October 15 deadline. Cofidis have applied for the WorldTour along with EF Education-Oatly.
The Roland team, who initially told Cyclingnews they would apply for a ProTeam licence, have now confirmed they have applied for the WorldTour. Liv-AlUla-Jayco bring the total to 16.
Neither Roland (18th) nor Cofidis (19th) will meet the criteria of being in the top 15 of the Women's Team Rankings for 2024-2025.
With the end of the Ceratizit team, EF Education-Oatly are the most likely team to get the 15th Women's WorldTour licence as they finished the cycle in 11th place overall.
Roland and Cofidis will likely remain ProTeams in 2026 and will be joined by the Lotto Ladies, who are looking to move up from a continental licence. A French new team, Ma Petite Entreprise, have applied for ProTeam status.
Men's 2026-2028 WorldTour applicants
- Alpecin-Deceuninck
- Bahrain Victorious
- Cofidis (did not make top 18)
- Cycling Academy (Israel-Premier Tech) - probable promotion
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education – Easypost
- Groupama-FDJ United
- Ineos Grenadiers
- Jayco-AlUla (missed Oct. 15 deadline)
- Lidl-Trek
- Lotto Cycling Team - probable promotion
- Movistar Team
- Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Picnic PostNL
- Visma-Lease a Bike
- UAE Team Emirates XRG
- Uno-X Mobility - probable promotion
- XDS Astana Team
- Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (did not make top 18)
Women's WorldTour applicants
- AG Insurance-Soudal
- Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto
- Cofidis Women (did not make top 15)
- EF Education-Oatly - likely promotion
- FDJ United-SUEZ
- Fenix-Deceuninck
- Human Powered Health
- Lidl-Trek
- Movistar Team Women
- Liv-AlUla-Jayco (did not make October 15 deadline)
- Picnic PostNL
- Roland (did not make top 15)
- SD Worx-Protime
- Visma-Lease a Bike
- UAE Team ADQ
- Uno-X Mobility
Men's ProTeam applicants
- Burgos Burpellet-BH
- Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
- Equipo Kern Pharma
- Euskaltel-Euskadi
- Toscana Factory (Solution Tech-Vini Fantini)
- Flanders-Baloise
- Novo Nordisk
- Polti-VisitMalta
- TotalEnergies
- Tudor
- Unibet Tietema Rockets
- Bardiani CSF
- Modern Adventure Pro Cycling (new)
- MBH Bank CSB Ballan (continental)
Women's ProTeam applicants
