Published November 2, 2010 02:35PM
The UCI on Tuesday released a provisional list of ProTeam and Pro Continental teams for the 2011 season, and said it would release a final list Nov. 20.
The provisional list is bad news for the Australian Pegasus team, which did not make the cut for the top division based on the UCI’s new ‘sporting criteria’ ranking. However, the UCI said the list could change before it’s made final.
The sporting criteria is a key factor in determining team eligible for the UCI’s newly named top division, ProTeam, which roughly corresponds to the ProTour designation used in recent years. The ProTeam division will contain 18 teams.
The sporting criteria is based on the 2009 and 2010 performances of the best 15 riders on next year’s team. Team classification results from major events also are factored in.
The top 15 teams on the list are automatic ProTeams, assuming the teams satisfy other UCI requirements. A UCI panel chooses the remaining three ProTeams from among the next five ranked teams on the list. Teams ranked below the top 20 are not eligible for ProTeam status.
Pegasus is ranked 23rd. Other teams on the bubble, with rankings between 16 and 20, are Euskaltel-Euskadi, Geox-TMC, Quick Step, Cofidis Le Crédit En Ligne and Ag2r.
The UCI said four teams have already satisfied all the requirements for ProTeam status: Rabobank, Garmin-Cervélo, Omega Pharma-Lotto and Sky Pro Cycling.
Additionally, 13 teams have a lock on Pro Continental status, including the American teams UnitedHealthcare-Maxxis and Team Type 1.
The other Pro Continentals: Androni Giocattoli, Bretagne – Schuller, Caja Rural, Colnago-CSF Inox, Europcar, Farnese Vinieri Sottoli, FDJ, Landbouwkrediet, Saur – Sojasun, Skil – Shimano, and Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator.