Bad news for Vino ...Astana dont get pro license

northernneil

'paper work isses'

shinyhelmut

Lucky Contador chose to leave then

iainf72

Pegasus also look like they've not managed to get a licence.

stagehopper

wonder how many contracts have been signed by riders provisional on the team getting a Pro-Tour licence?

Kléber

What difference does having a licence make?

There's no automatic entry to the Tour de France. Cervélo and BMC managed pretty well without one, the thing a team needs is a roster of proven riders.

iainf72

Kléber wrote:

What difference does having a licence make?

There's no automatic entry to the Tour de France. Cervélo and BMC managed pretty well without one, the thing a team needs is a roster of proven riders.

Depends on whether verbal agreements with GT organisers are worth the paper they're written on, surely?

Kléber

It seems you pay a big fee to the UCI and whilst it's good some of this goes on the bio passport, I'm not sure what the direct benefits are. Some teams like Euskatel have said they don't want to ride all three grand tours, it imposes some costs too.

It's more that nobody knows what the entry rules are for the Giro and Tour, or even Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico. Buying a licence isn't a guarantee of much.

stagehopper

Wasn't one of the reasons for Cervélo folding that the proposed new UCI points system in place for 2011 where Pro-Conti teams would have a budget of 18 points to "spend" on entries? They'd use up their total points on the Tour de France, one classic and a small Pro-Tour race leaving the rest of the season very bare.

Kléber

Cervélo cited something like "admin reasons" but I think the main reason seemed to be the inability to get a new sponsor on board, the bike company couldn't fund it forever.

stagehopper

true enough - also not sure this points sytem is in place. Googling seems to suggest UCI still haggling with Grand Tours.

sherer

I could be wrong here but for GTs don't ALL the Pro Tour teams get in plus about 4 wild card entries that the organisers can pick themselves ?

If this is just paperwork issues then does that mean Astana can still get a licence when this is resolved ?

Kléber

sherer wrote:

I could be wrong here but for GTs don't ALL the Pro Tour teams get in plus about 4 wild card entries that the organisers can pick themselves ?

No, it's the people who hold the old pro tour licences from 2007 or something like that, they have a deal with the Tour and Giro. That's how Gianetti managed to get the very weak Footon team a ride last July for example.

blazing_saddles

The UCI 2011 rankings and methods of awarding licences here:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/first-u ... -announced
Astana ranked 13th, so all they have to do is get their dossier in order.
I swear this sport gets more confusing by the minute.

RichN95.

Blazing Saddles wrote:

The UCI 2011 rankings and methods of awarding licences here:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/first-u ... -announced
Astana ranked 13th, so all they have to do is get their dossier in order.
I swear this sport gets more confusing by the minute.

They're making it up as they go along.

They may have stumbled on a half-decent system though.

lucybears

ffs
Kléber & sherer, google harder

2008 agreement
from 2011 onward the top 17 teams from previous year guaranteed entry to all GTs irrespective

proposed, (by Pat but not yet agreed), the 18 pro tour teams guaranteed entry to all GTs

woodford2barbican

Are you still subject to the bio passport if you ride for a team without a pro licence?

RichN95.

woodford2barbican wrote:

Are you still subject to the bio passport if you ride for a team without a pro licence?

It extends to Pro Conti teams with wildcard status, I think. Maybe to all Pro Conti teams.

Kléber

The plan is to extend it too all but these rules are under discussion, but I think it should happen for 2011.

lucybears

Tour de Francia 2011: La participación muy definida, pero ¿qué equipo se quedará fuera?

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/no ... p?id=32249