The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has received applications from 20 teams for Wildcard status, enabling them to be invited to take part in ProTour-level events.
Only two teams from the 19 who have already been granted Professional Continental status have not applied for a Wildcard - the Polish CCC Polsat Polkowice team and Brazil's Scott-Marcondes César Sao José dos Campos. Three further squads who have yet to have their Professional Continental applications approved have also applied for a Wildcard.
Applicants will have to meet similar criteria to a full-blown ProTour team, including quality of team and riders; legal criteria; financial requirements; and ethics, particularly in respect of adhering to a strict anti-doping stance.
Those teams who are allocated Wildcard status will have to take part in the UCI's biological passport anti-doping programme, where all riders' blood and urine values are tracked throughout the season. This includes making a financial contribution to running the biological passport scheme and, in theory, creates a level playing field for all teams that will be competing together at ProTour events.
Professional Continental-level teams sit in the tier below the top-level ProTour squads, and generally have smaller budgets and less riders than ProTour outfits. Applying for wildcard status allows smaller teams to have a chance of competing in the big races.
Wildcard status does not guarantee that a team will be invited to an event denoted as 'Historic' within the UCI's World Calendar, which includes the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana, Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo among others. The organisers of these events have their own wildcard entry system.
Professional Continental teams applying for Wildcard status
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Acqua & Sapone (ITA)
Andalucia Cajasur (ESP)
Androni Giocattoli* (VEN)
Bbox Bouygues Teleco (FRA)
BMC Racing Team (USA)
Carmiooro - NGC (GBR)
Ceramica Flaminia (IRL)
Cervélo Test Team (SUI)
Cofidis, le crédit en ligne (FRA)
Colnago - CSF Inox (IRL)
De Rosa - Stac Plastic (IRL)
ISD - Neri (ITA)
Landbouwkrediet (BEL)
Rock Racing* (USA)
Saur - Sojasun (FRA)
Skil - Shimano (NED)
Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator (BEL)
Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team (NED)
Voralberg - Corratec (AUT)
Xacobeo Galicia Team* (ESP)
* Indicates a team that has yet to have its Professional Continental application approved by the UCI.
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
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