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Rabobank likely to get UCI WorldTour licence for 2013

By Cycling News

published 24 October 2012

UCI will ask for an exception for Dutch team

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Garate drops back to his Rabobank team car(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

The Rabobank team will be expected to make the podium on home soil(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Rabobank at the team presentation of the 2012 Vuelta a Espana(Image credit: Sirotti)

The Rabobank team, which will run under a new name next year, will most likely get a WorldTour licence despite the loss of its sponsor, the UCI has said. The team's licence expires at the end of this season, and it has applied for the usual four-year extension.

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"We will ask the license commission to make an exception," UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani told wielerrevue.nl. "That means that the team can get a one year license, instead of the four-year license as was requested by the team."

It must, however, still meet the financial requirements, including the bank guarantee. “A licence can be granted based on that guarantee of the budget for the next year,” Carpani said.

Last week Rabobank announced that it was ending its title sponsorship of the men's pro team as of the end of 2012. The team management has said the team will continue and will search for a new sponsor. The bank will honour its financial commitments to the team for the year, and the team may appear in “white jerseys” until a new sponsor is found.