RadioShack, Movistar, Katusha fail to make the cut
The UCI
The UCI announced the first eight teams which have passed muster for a UCI ProTeam license and 13 which met requirements for a Professional Continental license for 2013.
Astana, BMC, Cannondale, Lampre, Omega Pharma-QuickStep, Orica-GreenEdge, Sky and Vacansoleil-DCM all passed the sporting, ethical, financial and administrative criteria for ProTeam status. These teams had valid licenses through 2013 but only needed to be reviewed.
Teams that were seeking renewal of licenses: AG2R, Euskaltel-Euskaid, Garmin-Sharp, (the now former-) Rabobank and Saxo Bank-Tinkoff and new applicant Argos-Shimano must still be heard by the License Commission per the regulations before being granted a ProTeam license.
The applications of RadioShack, Movistar and Katusha also warranted further examination by the License Commission, a situation which RadioShack found itself in last year.
The UCI stated that FDJ and Lotto-Belisol would also be called before the License Commission.
Argos-Shimano, Lotto-Belisol, FDJ, Europcar and Saxo Bank were the five teams that fell outside the top 15 in the UCI's "sporting value" rankings. The top 15 are automatically in the WorldTour provided they meet the licensing requirements, while only three of the bottom five teams will be allowed into the sport's top tier.
The next announcement from the UCI regarding the licenses will come after November 26, with the final composition of the WorldTour decided on December 10.
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13 teams met the standards for Professional Continental licenses for 2013, with the new Swiss project IAM Cycling making the cut in addition to a dozen returning teams, including Europcar.
Although the teams have qualified for licenses, the UCI added a statement to its press release emphasizing, "that any significant change in the information used to establish the evaluation of the teams whose registration has been announced above will automatically be referred to the Licences Commission with the possible consequence of the withdrawal of the UCI WorldTour licence, the withdrawal of the registration or the suspension of the team depending on the seriousness of the case."
UCI ProTeams (first division)
Astana Pro Team (KAZ) BMC Racing Team (USA) Cannondale (ITA) Lampre – Merida (ITA) Omega Pharma – Quick Step Cycling Team (BEL) ORICA GreenEdge (AUS) Sky ProCycling (GBR) Vacansoleil DCM Pro Cycling Team (NED)
UCI Professionnel Continental Teams (second division)
Accent Jobs – Wanty (BEL) Androni Giocattoli (ITA) Caja Rural (ESP) CCC Polsat Polkowice (POL) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits (FRA) IAM Cycling (SUI) Landbouwkrediet – Euphony (BEL) Sojasun (FRA) Team Europcar (FRA) Team Netapp – Endura (GER) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise (BEL) UnitedHealthCare Professional Cycling Team (USA) Vini Fantini (ITA)
