Cyclingnews understands the UCI is considering a plan to increase the number of WorldTour teams in the 2023 peloton to end the WorldTour relegation chaos that has left teams fighting for ranking points and unsure about their future if they drop out of the WorldTour.
According to several sources, the UCI could significantly change the WorldTour rules and allow 20 teams to compete in the WorldTour races in the next three-year cycle from 2023-2025.
That would avoid any of the 20 teams that have applied from missing out, and so neutralise the ever intense battle for ranking points as teams race to avoid relegation rather than win races.
Increasing the maximum size of the peloton to 200 riders is apparently the key to the last-minute solution. The current limit is 176 riders – 22 teams of eight riders for the Grand Tours and 25 teams of seven for other WorldTour races.
A larger peloton of 25 teams for Grand Tours and up to 28 teams for other events would allow 20 WorldTour teams to compete in all the WorldTour races, give the two best ranked ProTeams of 2022 places in the 2023 WorldTour races and allow race organisers to award three wild card places.
The only concern about a bigger peloton is rider safety and a possible increase in crashes. However it also increases employment opportunities for more riders and so the CPA rider association is unlikely to oppose the increase. Costs would increase for race organisers due to a need for extra hotels but that is a minor problem to resolve if the race organisers are willing to play their part in finding a compromise solution.
The UCI created the current rules that will see only 18 teams awarded WorldTour places in 2023, with the sporting criterion based on points scored during the last three seasons.
WorldTour status guarantees the teams a place in all the major races, including the Tour de France. Many WorldTour sponsorship and rider contracts insist on having a place at the Tour de France, meaning relegation from the WorldTour can lead to the loss of riders and title sponsors and so the collapse of a team.
In the past the regular demise of teams and sponsors has rarely seen and excess number of teams fighting for a place in the WorldTour but Alpecin-Deceuninck and Arkéa-Samsic have both applied for a WorldTour place for 2023-2025, as have the current 18 WorldTour teams. Two teams are set to miss out unless the UCI makes a last-minute rule change.
Cyclingnews understands that the teams at risk from relegation have…
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