Saxo-Tinkoff WorldTour status still in doubt

Saxo Bank lead, Vuelta a Espana 2012, stage 14

Saxo-Tinkoff prepares for the worst as the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) may boot the team from its first division on Monday. With only 18 spots available in the WorldTour, the Danish team with disgraced star Alberto Contador appears an unwanted guest.

The governing body will announce its 18 ProTeams that have guaranteed entry into the 2013 WorldTour races, including the major classics and Grand Tours. Second division teams must rely on wildcard invitations to the big races, and that makes planning for major objectives, like the Tour de France, stressful.

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Gregor Brown

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.