Teams decide in favor of Paris-Nice

After consulting with its member teams, the International Association of Professional Cycling teams (AIGCP) announced Wednesday that a unanimous decision had been reached to support participation in Paris-Nice. The decision, another round in the ongoing dispute between the UCI and Grand Tour organisers, comes after the UCI asked all professional teams to boycott this year's event, which it is not recognizing on its calendar.

"The AIGCP made this decision while thinking only of the sporting interests of the riders and the teams' sponsors. The conditions of participation proposed by the organisers Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) will be discussed by a directing committee on Friday, February 29," read a statement signed by AIGCP President Eric Boyer.

The AIGCP said it has informed UCI President of its decision and made an appointment with the international cycling federation at the beginning of next week to discuss the ongoing crisis within the sport.

Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) is planning to run the March 9-16 race under sanctioning of the French Cycling Federation instead of the UCI and "under the exclusive jurisdiction of French law."

On Tuesday, Boyer had indicated that the AIGCP "decision will determine how we will race (other events) the rest of the season." Although the AIGCP did not comment specifically Wednesday about participation in other events put on by Grand Tour organizers ASO, RCS Sport and Unipublic, its decision seems to put more pressure on the UCI and may be an indicator of how the AIGCP's teams will act in the future.