Arkéa and Astana have dropped further into the relegation zone at the end of the season. They need an incredible 2025 season to avoid relegation. The relegated teams will face tough competition for WorldTour wildcards against Uno-X and Tudor. Full ranking analysis 👇
2023-2025 UCI Rankings Update - Arkéa and Astana set for likely relegation; Uno-X Mobility enters battle for World Tour license
CyclingFriday, 01 November 2024 at 13:40
The 2024 season has concluded and we've had interesting results out of the year. However the biggest reason why many teams care about the UCI points is in order to assure their license for the 2026-2028 years, which will be given to the 18 teams who have scored the most points from 2023-2025. We bring you an update now at the end of the second year.
Data Analyst Raúl Banqueri continues to rack up the ongoing competition that is valuable specially to the lower-tier World Tour teams, and in his most recent update we get to see how the battle stands after two out of three seasons. In 2025 this 'phase' will conclude and the 18 teams with the most points will be rewarded with a World Tour license. With Lotto Dstny and Israel - Premier Tech thriving and well above the red line, it means two World Tour outfits (at least) will inevitably face relegation and descent to ProTeam level. This may not be a catastrophe however, as the two highest-scoring ProTeams get automatic wildcards for all World Tour events.
At the top of the standings, as expected, is UAE Team Emirates who had topped the rankings in 2023 and in 2024 decimated the competition. Team Visma | Lease a Bike also ride around in a comfortable second place, but for most teams at this level in the standings don't really take points into consideration. It's towards the bottom of the charts that we have the battles, the rivalries and the drama.
When it comes to automatic wildcards for the 2025 season, Lotto Dstny and Israel - Premier Tech have secured them with relative comfort after brilliant season for both - even though Israel has seen it's highest-paid rider Chris Froome add a total of 0 points to it's tally. Uno-X Mobility has an automatic wildcard to all one-day races in the World Tour. All three teams do have the option to not participate in the races where they have invitations guaranteed, and this frequently happens. Italian team Corratec Vini Fantini will also not be part of the wildcard fight for the 2025 Giro d'Italia after they finished outside the Top40 ranked teams this season, and the fact that next season the list shrinks into the Top30 only, Euskaltel - Euskadi will also be at risk of being in the same situation for the Vuelta a España if the same happens next year.
Onto the key part of the rankings. Movistar Team, Israel - Premier Tech, Team Jayco AlUla and Intermarché - Wanty occupy positions 13-16 and although they are relatively safe, they have to put some focus to ensure disaster does not happen (they are in the 21.800-20.400 points range). Team DSM-Firmenich and Cofidis are 17th and 18th with 18.748 and 18.327 points respectively, and have to put in good seasons to assure they remain above the red line and have continuation in the World Tour.
Below the red line in 19th place is Arkéa-B&B Hotels with 15.964 points, a big gap to close and specially with the departure of Clément Champoussin (and likely Vincenzo Albanese) who are having their contracts bought out by rival teams. The team faces even bigger risks as it's continuation beyond 2025 is not assured, the team may actually close doors. All in all not a hopeless situation but a very difficult one.
Only 200 points behind them is Uno-X Mobility who are also a few thousand points behind the red line but have gotten themselves in the battle for the World Tour license they seek. The Norwegian team had a strong year, better than several World Tour outfits.
Finally in 21st place is the Astana Qazaqstan team with 13.607 points, a big deficit to it's closest rivals but almost 5000 points under the red line. This year the Kazakh team scored a mere 6532 - the lowest out of any World Tour team. Despite the investment of a Chinese sponsor which sees the signings of riders like Diego Ulissi, Sergio Higuita, Wout Poels and Mike Teunissen who can score many points, the situation looks very difficult for Astana to face anything but a relegation at this point.
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