WorldTour relegation battle angers and confuses teams: 'It doesn't make any sense'

It's the elephant in the room that is causing all sorts of stress within team camps - even if some are pretending otherwise

Peloton at the Itzulia Basque Country
(Image credit: Getty)

The battle to avoid relegation from the men's WorldTour ranks at the end of this season has many teams questioning the ranking system, some in denial about their position, and others admitting that it's having a direct influence on how riders are approaching races.

For the first time ever, next year's three-term WorldTour licences will be awarded to the teams who are in the top-18 of the UCI's rankings based on results over the past three seasons. 

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