ProTeams discuss potential purchase of Soudal-QuickStep's WorldTour licence
Israel-Premier Tech and Uno-X among candidates for jump to the top division
The potential blockbuster merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep, should it come to pass, would have wide-ranging consequences across the cycling world.
Beyond the immediate sporting implications at the top level, potential star moves, and numerous other riders and staff suddenly entering the transfer market, a union between the teams would open up another spot in the WorldTour.
As seen in recent years with the folding of Katusha and CCC, a WorldTour team ceasing to exist – Soudal-QuickStep in this case – should see their licence go up for sale. A scramble for a sought-after space at pro cycling's top table would surely ensue, with teams including recently relegated Lotto-Dstny and Israel-Premier Tech likely to be among the interested parties.
Representatives from ProTeams – Israel-Premier Tech, Uno-X and Q36.5 – have commented on the possibility of buying a vacant licence, though there are, of course, complications with any potential buy-out.
Israel-Premier Tech, up until this year a part of the WorldTour after buying Katusha's licence at the end of 2019, told Cyclingnews that "it's no secret" that the team has ambitions to move back up.
"It is no secret we would like to return to the WorldTour, so if a WorldTour licence were to become available, then Israel-Premier Tech would be interested in obtaining the licence," the team stated.
One complication in buying Soudal-QuickStep's licence comes in the form of UCI regulation 2.15.044, which reads: 'A licence may only be transferred after two years (from the date of its award)'. Buying the Belgian team's licence a year after it was awarded is seemingly not possible, though UCI regulations are never quite set in stone.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
UCI regulations regarding WorldTour licence applications also stipulate that teams hoping for a licence have to meet the sporting criteria, ranking top 18 in the world, though recent licence buyouts – Israel-Katusha in 2019 and Intermarché-CCC in 2020 – were successfully carried out by teams lying outside the top 18.
While Israel-Premier Tech confirmed their interest in replicating their purchase of Katusha, at Uno-X, general manager Jens Haugland said that doing so would be complicated, even if the team is ready for the WorldTour.
Haugland told WielerFlits that his team is interested in moving up, but only on their own terms. With 29 riders under contract for 2024 and an established staff and structure in place, the team wouldn't be interested in navigating the complexities involved in taking on pre-existing rider and staff contracts.
"We'll only take over the licence without any obligations," Haugland said. "So, we won't take over a paying agent that already has a structure of riders and staff. That isn't natural for us at all.
"We have our own system, our own structure, which we've built ourselves. We'll never take the risk of changing our identity based on an available licence. But the WorldTour was, and is, our ambition. We have also shown that with our signings."
Haugland stated that his team is "100%" ready to make the move, having already applied for a spot last winter and only falling short on sporting criteria. For 2024, they will add several high-quality riders in Magnus Cort and Andreas Leknessund to a roster which includes Alexander Kristoff, Tobias Halland Johannessen, and Søren Wærenskjold.
"The only reason we didn't get it was because we hadn't gained enough points in the UCI rankings from 2020 to 2022. But for all the other audits – financial, ethical, administration, and organisation – we passed with flying colours. In all honesty, I think we already operate at WorldTour level. Just look at our Tour de France."
At Q36.5, meanwhile, the team is sticking to their pre-planned path to the top – aiming for the WorldTour for the end of the 2026 season.
"We're not going to make that jump in 2024," team directeur sportif Aart Vierhouten told WielerFlits. "It's too early for us.
"It sounds easy to take over a WorldTour licence, but it's not. If we were to accelerate anything now, we'd suddenly have to push riders even harder with more stress and pressure, whereas they really need one or two more years.
"We have no interest in the WorldTour now. If we were to hold an internal vote, I would vote no."
Vierhouten confirmed that the team is building year-by-year towards the WorldTour rather than rushing to make the step up before they're fully ready. The squad is coming to the end of their first season with six wins under their belt and riders including Gianluca Brambilla, Jack Bauer, and Damien Howson on board this year.
Next season, sprinter Giacomo Nizzolo is among the recruits, along with WorldTour recruits Frederik Frison and Jannik Steimle.
"We've put something beautiful in place," Vierhouten said. "When we started last year, we did it with a six-year plan. Every year we add a step financially so we can grow quietly. At the end of the third year – 2025 – we should be among the top three ProTeams.
"Only after the fourth year [2026] is the ambition to advance to the WorldTour. That has to be the reality by 2028, anyway. We want our riders to grow towards that, just as Alpecin-Deceuninck did, very naturally."
The merger's effect on the transfer market
While the chances of teams buying a WorldTour licence is one of the main talking points arising from the potential merger, the future of numerous riders under contract at both teams is another.
50 riders are confirmed under contract across both teams for 2024, a huge swathe of them would be left out in the cold this winter in the event of any merger.
The potential availability of stars including Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič – both under contract but linked with moves elsewhere – will upend the transfer market, while others may find it difficult to find spaces as teams finalise their rosters.
Israel-Premier Tech told Cyclingnews that their squad is already at 29 riders for 2024, meaning just one spot is left up for grabs. However, as the team showed last August when Guy Sagiv made way for Dylan Teuns, they can make space if riders become available.
Haugland also commented on the possibility of riders entering the market, with Danish riders Kasper Asgreen and Casper Pedersen under contract at Soudal-QuickStep a fit with their squad-building philosophy.
"I'd have to go to the bank to borrow money first," Haugland said, joking about the chance of signing either. "The question is whether we'll fill that last spot.
"Any Dane or Norwegian riding in the WorldTour is of interest for us. We limit ourselves to this geographical area."
Q36.5, meanwhile, are at 25 riders for 2024 (the ProTeam maximum roster size, like the WorldTour, is 30 riders including two neo-pros), and on the lookout for the opportunity to pick up a puncheur.
"We already have 25 riders under contract for next season," Vierhouten said. "We've invested towards the Classics. There's still room for an opportunity. We're quite good in terms of climbers, too.
"But we're still looking for a 'semi-climber' who does well on short climbs of up to 2km. Riders like that could suddenly become available to us later on."
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, she had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur. She writes and edits at Cyclingnews as well as running newsletter, social media, and how to watch campaigns.