Xacobeo Galicia satisfied with appeal of licence decision

The Xacobeo Galicia team is confident that it will be granted its Professional Continental team status by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in January. The Spanish squad met with the UCI this week for talks on the matter.

In the middle of November, the UCI announced that the team, along with 18 others, had passed the first stage in the licence application. However, Xacobeo did not receive final approval earlier this month when the others were announced, although no reason was given. The team was allowed to appeal the decision, and the final announcement is due January 4.

Xacobeo met Wednesday with the UCI's steering committee, a few days after Jose Ramon Lete, the general secretary for sport for the Galicia region, met with UCI president Pat McQuaid in Madrid.

Wednesday's meeting left the team “very satisfied,” according to a statement it issued. "It was a meeting in an atmosphere of utmost cordiality and collaboration,"said Pedro Alfaro, managing director of the Galego Cycling Foundation, which runs the team.

"The Committee very much appreciated our effort and involvement, and asked us to provide more concrete aspects of the documentation submitted, which we put to work almost immediately," he continued.

"I am convinced that on January 4 we will be in the 2010 Professional Continental teams category, with all that this implies for Galician and Spanish cycling,” Alfaro concluded optimistically.

Xacobeo had six victories this season, including a stage in the Vuelta a España.