Astana in, Europcar out of WorldTour for 2015

On Wednesday, the UCI Licence Commission approved Astana as a WorldTour team for the 2015 season—with conditions—but rejected Europcar for budget shortcomings. The WorldTour will go ahead with 17 instead of the usual 18 squads. In 2013, 19 teams made up the WorldTour after Katusha was reinstated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the Russian squad was initially rejected.

Despite a rash of doping positives in the second half of the 2014 season and recent revelations of ties to banned Italian doctor Michele Ferrari, the Kazakh team of current Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali and 2014 stage race revelation Fabio Aru was granted a conditional licence.

The team must agree to be audited by the the Institute of Sport Sciences of the University of Lausanne (ISSUL) in Switzerland and stick to new internal operation requirements, something that all squads must adhere to as of 2017.

The French Europcar team, already due to lose its sponsorship at the end of 2015, finds itself once more outside the WorldTour looking in after one season in pro cycling’s highest division. In a press release the UCI stated, “The Licence Commission estimates that the team does not fulfill the financial criteria.” However: “The UCI will be able to evaluate the possibility of registering the team as a UCI professional continental team.” Back to Tour de France wildcards, malheureusement. According to L’Équipe, the team has a shortfall of 5 per cent. This change affects Canadian rider Antoine Duchesne.

Astana is essentially on probation and can still have its licence revoked. Some cycling observers cast doubt on whether Astana will stay in the top league.

I could be wrong but I don’t think Astana will make it an entire season with their license intact. I doubt they will make it to the Tour

— Race Radio (@TheRaceRadio) December 10, 2014