North American teams' applications for Pro Continental ranks delayed
SpiderTech rolls on the front of the peloton. (Image credit: Fabrice Lambert/sportbreizh.com)
Delayed paperwork is to blame for US-based Team Type 1 and Canada-based SpiderTech p/b Planet Energy’s absence on the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) list Professional Continental teams in 2011.
Each team’s respective manager assures that the necessary documents have been completed and both teams will appear on the official list at the end of the month.
The UCI outlined six deadlines for teams interested in applying for a ProTour and Professional Continental licenses. For the final deadline, all documents including the original bank guarantee, sponsor contracts, rider and staff contracts and budget compensation was due on October 1.
However, the UCI recently extended the original deadline by one month giving teams which ran into complications or delays with their application process time to submit the proper documentation to the UCI by November 1.
Three of North America’s domestic Continental teams expressed an interest in upgrading to the Professional Continental ranks, however only one, UnitedHealthcare p/b Maxxis, appeared on the list published by the sport's governing body on Tuesday.
SpiderTech manager Steve Bauer stated that his team was missing one document needed to secure a timely slot on the Professional Continental ranks. However, the document in question has been submitted to the UCI and has completed its application.
"We will be registered Division 2," Bauer told Cyclingnews. "We were missing one important document for October 1. This document has now been sent to the UCI auditor and therefore our file will now be in order. There is no reason for an extension, our file will be in place and the team will be registered on November 1 when the UCI makes the official registration announcement."
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Manager Phil Southerland attributed Team Type 1’s absence from the UCI's list to the delay of a bank guarantee, and it was reported that the team’s current bank is at fault.
"All is OK on our end, all documents were submitted on time to the UCI, and the money is in, but we are waiting on the piece of paper to say so from our bank," Southerland told Cyclingnews. "As of now, we must submit the letter of credit for our bank guarantee and expect it to be in the UCI's hands by Friday."
There were 14 teams with on-time Professional Continental applications including Andalucia Caja Granada, Androni Giocattoli, Caja Rural, CCC Polsat Polkowice, Colnago-CSF Inox, De Rosa-Ceramica Flaminia, Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, Landbouwkrediet, Netapp, Saur-Sojasun, Skil-Shimano, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, UnitedHealthcare p/b Maxxis and Verandas Willems-Accent.
Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
