Important news for Tom Pidcock and Julian Alaphilippe? ProTeams push for rule changes to secure more Grand Tour spots in 2025
CyclingMonday, 13 January 2025 at 10:12
As the 2025 cycling season approaches, several ProTeams are
lobbying the UCI to revise its regulations for Grand Tours, seeking an increase
in the number of teams allowed to participate in these marquee events. Spanish
newspaper Marca reports that ProTeams are calling for 23 teams, rather
than the current 22, to be granted entry to the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France,
and Vuelta a España.
Why are grand tours so important?
For ProTeams, Grand Tours are a financial and promotional
lifeline. These events are the crown jewels of professional cycling, offering
unparalleled global exposure to sponsors. With millions of fans watching on TV
and attending in person, the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta provide a rare chance for
smaller teams to show their talent and attract more lucrative sponsorship
deals. A strong performance or stage win at a Grand Tour can significantly
boost a team’s visibility and financial stability, which is crucial for
survival in the fiercely competitive world of professional cycling.
Currently, all 18 UCI WorldTeams automatically qualify for
the three-week races. Additionally, the top two ProTeams from the previous
season, Lotto and Israel-Premier Tech, are guaranteed entry through the
UCI’s promotion system. The race organisers then award two wildcard invitations
to other ProTeams, leaving a limited window for smaller squads to earn a
coveted spot. ProTeams are now pushing for a third wildcard to increase their
chances of competing on cycling’s grandest stage.
The call for an additional wildcard has gained momentum
following high-profile transfers of marquee riders to ProTeams this winter.
Julian Alaphilippe has joined Tudor Pro Cycling, while Tom Pidcock has moved
from INEOS Grenadiers to Q36.5 Pro Cycling. Both riders are stars of the sport
and are key assets for their new teams, but without a Grand Tour wildcard,
their ability to perform on the biggest stage and generate exposure for their
squads could be limited. ProTeams argue that their inclusion would enrich the
races and ensure top talent is on display for fans.
Expanding the number of teams in Grand Tours would bring
challenges. If an additional ProTeam is allowed, the peloton size would
increase from the current maximum of 176 riders to 184. While this is still
smaller than the 198-rider fields seen before 2018, when the UCI reduced team
sizes from nine riders to eight to enhance rider safety, it would represent a
logistical and financial burden for race organisers. Accommodating more teams
requires additional resources, from hotel rooms to race convoy vehicles, and
raises concerns about safety and road congestion during the race.
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Big news, Important news? Is someone behind the scenes here a Pidcock supporter or is he sponsoring this website?
Honestly, it's not just ProTeams that are arguing this: so are fans like me. I'd love to see more feisty teams struggling for points going at it against each other. I'd love to see a Cancellara team and a Contador team (what happened to them?!) up against the biggies. I'd love to see more wins like Castrillo in the Vuelta (his first was fun, his second was great!). But I also recognize that the two tier system requires that some teams fear a loss of benefit, and others seek a gain of benefit. If everyone has the benefit, is it as important to compete for it? Cycling is weird, that's my conclusion.
There is for and against, the discussion is definitely worth having in order to find acceptable compromise. I don’t really know why numbers are important, you can also just play with balancing, 3 or 4 promoted / demoted instead of 2? Reducing teams to 7 to accommodate 23 or 24? Also, before jumping the gun, they need to look at (possible) consequences, all of them which are often overlooked. There are huge implications financially, we should think carefully to see how things can’t be exploited by “investors” buying their way into GTs too easily, especially now that things like contract breaking has become nothing more than a financial burden.