2010 ProTour - UCI Registers 17 Teams
Astana Makes the Cut for the November Deadline for ProTour Status - Lampre/Farnese Vini  in Limbo

The UCI announced the teams that have been approved for a ProTour License this morning. Astana it seems still has met the UCI's expectations to clear the way for their inclusion in the 17 team roster for 2010.

This opens the door for a final resolution to Alberto Contador's contract to be fulfilled for his final year of his contract assuming all the pay guarantees for his increase in pay and the conditions are met by the Astana organisation. Joining Alberto on the roster will be Oscar Pereiro who claimed the tour de France title in 2006.

Oddly enough team Lampre/Vini Farnese has been refused a license at this time. Though we have little doubt at this time that the blue and fucsia team will find a way to satisfy the requirements in the next month to qualify the team for ProTour status.

UCI ProTour - seventeen teams registered by the UCI
Date: 26.11.2009

The UCI ProTour Council (UPTC) has ruled on the registration applications submitted by UCI Pro Teams and candidates for ProTour licences.

Teams are required to submit a registration application to the International Cycling Union (UCI) on an annual basis. This procedure, which is assessed by external consultants, allows the UCI to check that all teams meet the requirements established by the regulations, particularly administrative and financial.

The teams were informed that the deadline for submitting registrations this year was 20 November. After an examination of the applications received, the UPTC has registered the following 17 teams:

AG2R La Mondiale (FRA)
Astana (KAZ)
Caisse d’Epargne (ESP)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (ESP)
Footon-Servetto (ESP)
Française des Jeux (FRA)
Garmin-Slipstream (USA)
Liquigas-Doimo (ITA)
Omega Pharma-Lotto (BEL)
Quick Step (BEL)
Rabobank (NED)
Saxo Bank (DEN)
Team Columbia-HTC (USA)
Team Katusha (RUS)
Team Milram (GER)
Team RadioShack (USA)
Team Sky (GBR)

The UCI ProTour Council however decided to refuse the registration of the Italian team Lampre Farnese Vini. It has referred the matter to the Licence Commission which will make a decision on whether or not to withdraw the UCI ProTour licence held by that team.

All the registered teams already have a UCI ProTour licence that is valid for the coming season or beyond:

Team - License expires
Astana (KAZ)  2010
Caisse d’Epargne (ESP) 2010
Euskaltel-Euskadi (ESP) 2010
Footon-Servetto (ESP)  2010
Française des Jeux (FRA) 2010
Liquigas-Doimo (ITA)   2010
Team Columbia-HTC (USA)  2010
   Team Milram (GER) 2010
Omega Pharma-Lotto (BEL) 2011
Quick Step (BEL) 2011
Saxo Bank (DEN) 2011
Team Katusha (RUS) 2011
AG2R La Mondiale (FRA) 2012
Garmin-Slipstream (USA) 2012
Rabobank (NED) 2012
Team RadioShack (USA) 2013
Team Sky (GBR) 2013

The UCI ProTour licence and the registration of UCI ProTeams are two different things. To be part of the UCI ProTour, a team must obtain a licence (valid for 1-4 years) the award of which is based, in particular, on sporting, ethical and financial criteria, taking into account the team's history and guarantees provided for the future. The licence implies the right and obligation to participate in all UCI ProTour events. As for registration, this is, as indicated above, an annual procedure to check that teams have the contracts and budget in place to carry out their activities during the coming season.

With regard to the Astana team, the UCI wishes to state that in response to the difficulties that this team had paying its riders’ salaries last season, the UPTC President, Mr Vittorio Adorni, last May requested the License Commission to withdraw the licence held by the Kazakh team.

The subsequent intervention of team executives allowed a solution to the problem to be implemented for the year 2009. The request for withdrawal presented by the UPTC President was then suspended. Looking forward to the 2010 season, the UCI requested the Kazakh team to provide an additional bank guarantee so that the regrettable situation in 2009 would not be repeated and so that the request for the withdrawal of the Astana licence would not have to be reactivated.

This request is not connected in any way to the registration procedure for UCI ProTeams mentioned above but to the request for the withdrawal of the Astana licence that would have to be reactivated if the bank guarantee is not provided.

The UCI awaits this bank guarantee and is confident it will be provided soon.
UCI Press Service

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