PARIS, Oct 29, 2012 (AFP) – Alberto Contador’s Saxo Bank team must wait to
find out if they are to be included in the International Cycling Union’s (UCI)
WorldTour division for 2013 after their omission from the UCI’s provisional
list of 15 teams released Monday.
Saxo Bank failed to make the initial cut based on sporting merit, which
took into account each team’s top 12 riders under contract for the 2013 season.
The Danish outfit were unable to count Contador’s points as a result of the
Spaniard’s doping suspension, resulting in them being ranked 20th and leaving
them as one of five teams which will vie for the final three places in
cycling’s top tier.
The UCI revealed that it will announce shortly after the November 1
deadline the registration of the UCI ProTeams with a valid 2013 WorldTour
license that have satisfied all criteria — including ethical, financial and
administrative.
The remaining teams will be subject to a thorough evaluation by the License
Commission, with the first decisions taken on November 26 and the final
decisions made on December 10.
The 15 top teams included (alphabetical order):
AG2R La Mondiale (FRA), Astana (KAZ), BMC (USA), Cannondale (ITA),
Euskaltel (ESP), ex-Rabobank (NED), Garmin (USA), Katusha (RUS), Lampre (ITA),
Movistar (ESP), Omega Pharma (BEL), Orica (AUS), RadioShack (USA), Sky (GBR),
Vacansoleil NED)
Teams ranked 16th to 20th (in numerical order):
Argos, Lotto, FDJ-BigMat, Europcar, Saxo Bank
