The successful BMC team kiss their medals on the podium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The UCI has released an initial list of teams who have been granted WorldTour and Professional Continental licences for the 2016 season.
All teams that registered were subject to an audit by Ernst & Young and 11 teams were confirmed on Monday for the WorldTour, along with 17 for the Pro Continental division – cycling’s second tier.
Those 11 WorldTour teams are all continuing from this year and were all already in possession of a licence for 2016. There are seven other teams who are applying for a new WorldTour licence and, as such, will be referred to the Licence Comission.
The fact that there are seven means that one extra prospective applicant has been added since the initial list of registrations was published last month. MTN-Qhubeka (to be known as Dimension Data from 2016) are widely believed to be the team hoping to make the step up in a move that could return the WorldTour to a full quota of 18 teams.
It was confirmed that Astana have been granted a WorldTour licence for 2016, with an end being brought to proceedings between the Kazakh team and the UCI relating to its suitability for a licence.
The UCI also granted 17 teams Pro Continental status for 2016, meaning that six teams who originally applied have fallen at the first hurdle and will now be referred to the Licence Comission for further scrutiny. Those teams are Bardiani-CSF, CCC Sprandi Polkowice, Cult Energy-Stölting Group, Direct Energie (formerly Europcar), Roth-Skoda, and Tharcor (Southeast).
The 11 confirmed 2016 WorldTour teams
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AG2R La Mondiale
Astana Pro Team
BMC Racing Team
FDJ
IAM Cycling
Movistar Team
Orica GreenEdge
Team Giant-Alpecin
Team LottoNL-Jumbo
Team Sky
Trek Factory Racing
The 17 confirmed 2016 Professional Continental teams
Androni Giocattoli
Bora-Argon 18
Caja Rural-Seguros SA
Cofidis, Solutions Credits
Delko Marseille Provence KTM
Drapac Professional Cycling
Fortuneo-Vital Concept
Funvic Soul Cycles-Carrefour
Nippo-Vini Fantini
One Pro Cycling
Roompot Oranje Peloton
RusVelo
Team Novo Nordisk
Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
Verva Activejet Pro Cycling Team
Wanty-Groupe Gobert
The UCI will communicate the decisions of the Licence Commission concerning the award of further licences during November and December.
