Van der Poel’s ProTeam Alpecin-Fenix will receive automatic WorldTour race spots again in 2022
Belgian squad was seventh in UCI 2021 team rankings
Photo by:
Sirotti
After finishing sixth in the UCI’s team rankings for the 2021 season, Mathieu van der Poel’s ProTeam level Alpecin-Fenix will receive automatic WorldTour invites again in 2022.
Van der Poel led the way for his squad, taking seven WorldTour victories, including a stage of the Tour de France where he wore yellow for 6 days, and Strade Bianche during the season. He finished seventh in the individual standings. Other key wins came from Jasper Philipsen in the Vuelta a España and Tim Merlier in the Tour de France. Philipsen was 15th ranked and Merlier 19th.
Another ProTeam, Arkea-Samsic, placed 17th in the UCI Team Rankings, better than four WorldTour squads. It will receive automatic places in WorldTour one-day races, but still must get wildcard invitations from stage races and Grand Tours. Nairo Quintana was the squad’s top-ranked rider.
Sitting atop the 2021 team rankings was Deceuninck-Quick Step, with Ineos Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma on the “podium”. The top-ranked rider was the irrepressible Tadej Pogačar, who earned his second Tour de France title, the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Il Lombardia in 2021. Canada’s Michael Woods was 13th ranked, with the second highest ranked Canadian Guillaume Boivin at 268th.
Canada was the 17th-ranked nation, between the U.S.A. and Poland. Belgium was number one.