We’re in 12 months 2 of the three yr World Tour promotion and relegation cycle. Right here’s a take a look at the present standings and the challenges for some groups.
A reminder that the system sees the factors for every crew added collectively over three seasons (2023,2024,2025) and the top-18 squads qualify for a World Tour spot for the following three years (2026-2028). In additional element it’s based mostly on the factors scored by every crew’s 20 greatest factors scorers. If you wish to understand how factors are scored, see the UCI Factors And Rankings Tables.
WorldTeam standing issues, simply. Groups need it however they’re actually fearful about not having it. Being a high crew is a privilege in its personal proper, it attracts sponsors and riders alike. Above all it ensures a Tour de France begin for the following three seasons giving sponsors safety that they’ll be on the occasion that may generate 70% of their annual visibility by some measures. Relegation may be problematic, some sponsors may stop and so may riders, there may even be break clauses in contracts in case of relegation.
Being in biking’s second tier may be fantastic too, there’s simply extra threat. Every year the very best two groups on the UCI rankings outdoors of the 18 WorldTeams can qualify for automated invites to the Tour de France and different large races, for this yr Lotto-Dstny and Israel-PremierTech certified because of their factors haul in 2023. However that is all the way down to outcomes and rankings, quite than automated. These groups may look to be in a pleasant place the place they will additionally decline invites they don’t need however it’s not so easy, they’re solely an damage or crash away from being overtaken by a rival squad and so shedding out on their invites. Sponsors and riders alike could favor the knowledge of a World Tour calendar.
We’re seeing this proper now with TotalEnergies, the crew is beginning to lose out on wildcard invitations and Anthony Turgis has expressed his frustration this week that he can’t Milan-Sanremo or the Ronde van Vlaanderen, races he’s made the top-10 in. He may take into consideration switching groups. Gear suppliers may suppose the identical too. Or as recommended final week, the crew must make some important signings to remain related.
The Present Standings
Right here’s the chart as issues are with 2023’s factors and people scored to date in 2024. It’s the identical story as final yr with Lotto-Dstny and IPT effectively contained in the top-18 groups whereas Arkéa-B&B Accommodations and Astana are adrift in nineteenth and twentieth place and by over/underneath 2,000 factors which is substantial. To make use of a biking metaphor they’ve received an enormous hole to shut, and even when they make it throughout to the likes of DSM and Decathlon they is perhaps drained and discover it onerous to maintain up with them. You’ll be able to see a number of different groups who will probably be cranking their spreadsheets each week to trace their standings.
Alpecin-Deceuninck are off to a poor begin. In fact neither Mathieu van der Poel nor Jasper Philipsen have began their street season so that they’ll rating extra. It’s fascinating although that the others haven’t scored a lot of their absence however Axel Laurence, who has received for them this season, stated it’s very completely different to his time at B&B when the squad was happy by a top-10 right here and there and the factors, now it’s all about victory.
Issues To Look For
Because it’s 12 months 2 of the three yr system there’s both loads of time to attain or the jaws of doom are biting down onerous already relying in your perspective. Groups doing effectively this season will probably be extra relaxed subsequent season whereas these affected by a poor 2023 and off to a foul begin this season will probably be considering of recruitment plans already, by no means thoughts a promising venture with a rider which may take a couple of season, who can they signal who will rating immediately subsequent yr? A rider who will rating subsequent yr must be signed this spring.
Arkéa-B&B Accommodations are caught in a bind, they should get again to hustling for factors like they did in 2022 however as they’re now a World Tour squad they should journey all three grand excursions and so ship riders to those races the place factors will probably be onerous to come back by. Astana have an excellent story with Mark Cavendish and his concentrate on the Tour de France stage report however they actually need new signings like Ide Schelling, Lorenzo Fortunato and Anthon Charmig to attain as greatest they will too.
What’s New?
The principles and factors tables are the identical however solely the very best 40 groups on the present yr’s rankings are eligible for a wildcard invite subsequent yr. Proper now Euskaltel-Euskadi are in fortieth place, Complete Energies forty first. These groups ought to transfer up contained in the top-40 within the coming weeks and months as they race greater than some Asian and American squads at present above them however it exhibits the problem.
Subsequent yr issues get a lot tighter with solely the very best 30 groups on the finish of 2025 eligible for invitation in 2026. The logic behind this rule is to make sure solely aggressive groups are picked for grand excursions and different large World Tour races and it’s going to have an enormous impact on the ProTeams, as biking’s second tier will successfully be break up in two between these groups eligible for the main races and people not.
Conclusion
A again story however one to pay attention to. Loads of groups of groups have the luxurious of a wealth of factors already and a robust roster such that they don’t must depend the factors. However others will not be so effectively off and should regulate the factors. This isn’t a passive process, they’ll make decisions for the race packages and even recruitment too.
Lotto-Dstny and IPT look set for a return to the World Tour and proper now its on the expense of Arkéa-Samsic and Astana. However there’s an extended approach to go, we’re a month into the second season of a 3 yr cycle, so lower than 40% of the best way.
The submit The 2024 Factors Race first appeared on The Inside Ring.
