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 licence that have satisfied all criteria — including ethical, financial and administrative.
The remaining teams will be subject to a thorough evaluation by the Licence 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.
