"I find it remarkable that this is even being considered" - Visma boss Richard Plugge has no time for discussion on extra Grand Tour wildcards

Although the 2025 season is well underway, with the first Monument approaching this weekend, we still don't yet know the full lineup of teams set to compete in the Grand Tours this year. The influx of star riders such as Tom Pidcock, Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi to second tier sides has sparked debate over whether or not an extra wildcard could be handed out. Not all agree with this thought though.

Every Grand Tour has a limited number of wildcards to hand out to the second tier of the sport. Typically, the Giro d'Italia will always favour inviting Italian teams such as VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè, the Tour de France will open its arms to home nation teams such as TotalEnergies, with the Vuelta a Espana also following suit with regular invites sent to teams like Equipo Kern Pharma. As mentioned though, the addition of Tom Pidcock to the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and both Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi to the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, plus the continued impressiveness of Uno-X Mobility mean that Grand Tour organisers now have a tougher decision than ever before.

Their rumoured solution to the issue is the hope of sending out an extra wildcard, increasing the number of teams allowed and therefore placating any potentially disappointed teams, riders and fans by notable names or local heroes missing out.

“One of the rules for safety is that we cannot have more than 176 riders in a Grand Tour,” Richard Plugge, team manager at Team Visma | Lease a Bike tells Sporza however, attempting to firmly shut down any such discussion. “I have nothing against any team, but giving out an extra wildcard would be strange for the value of the World Tour. This means that suddenly a team can be added that can score a lot of points."

"That can be a big problem for the World Tour teams at the bottom of the team rankings. Because then you would actually change the rules of the game during the game," continues Plugge. "I find it remarkable that this is even being considered."

For one of those aforementioned teams fighting to secure a spot in one of the three-week spectacles though, reports of an extra wildcard are very much welcomed. “Of course it would be a good decision to give out an extra wildcard,” says sprinting legend Thor Hushovd, now team manager of Uno-X Mobility. "The Tour, the Giro and the Vuelta are the biggest battlegrounds there are. For smaller teams it is important to collect points in those races and to ride into the spotlight on TV for hours."

With no official confirmation either way just yet though, despite the Giro d'Italia less than 2 months from getting underway, all the likes of Uno-X Mobility and other hopefuls can do is be patient. "For now, there is nothing else for us to do but wait," Hushovd concludes. “If you look at our results and the way we race, I think we deserve an invitation to the Tour (regardless of whether an extra wildcard is awarded or not). The signals for a Tour invitation are already positive. I am therefore optimistic that we will be there in July."