UCI hands out another four Pro Continental licences, thus approving all applicants

Announcing the final details of the squads that will compete at the Pro Continental level in 2016, the UCI confirmed Thursday that all four pending teams have been given a green light.

Approved are Bardiani-CSF and Southeast (which will be named Tharcor in 2016, plus CCC Sprandi Polkowice and the current Europcar, which will be titled Direct Energie from January.

All four had been passed over in the last wave of licence confirmations, but now can breathe a sigh of relief.

“We were confident about the UCI licence and this is why we already scheduled the first races of 2016 season,” said Roberto Reverberi, the Bardiani-CSF manager.

“We want to be competitive since the beginning, we don’t want to lose any chances of taking a good result. In Fiuggi [where it will hold a four-day training camp starting Sunday] we will decide the roster for Vuelta Valenciana and G.P. Costa degli Etruschi, as well as planning the biggest part of 2016 racing schedule.

“About our key events of the season, primarily the Giro d’Italia and the Classics, we are waiting for the decision of the organisers with confidence.”

It will make its season debut in the Vuelta Valenciana on February 3.

Direct Energie was in the news this week when French publication Ouest France said that it had missed out on the licence thus far due to money issues caused by a dispute with bike supplier Colnago.

The bike company was reportedly criticised prior to the Tour by the team’s star rider, Pierre Rolland. As a result of that, the company has apparently refused to pay its final instalment of cash to the team.

According to Ouest France, this cash shortage caused the team’s management company SA Vendée Cyclisme to draw on the bank guarantee lodged with the UCI in order to cover the riders’ salaries.

Team owner Jean-René Bernaudeau has reportedly taken Colnago to court in order to get the final payment, but a verdict won’t be announced until December 14. In the meantime, the UCI has given the team approval for next season, taking the pressure off.

A total of 23 Pro Continental teams will race in 2016, four more than this season.

There will also be 18 WorldTour teams.

The list of the Pro Continental squads is as follows:

Androni Giocattoli
Bardiani CSF
Bora – Argon 18
Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
CCC Sprandi Polkowice
Cofidis, Solutions Credits
Cult Energy – Stölting Group
Delko Marseille Provence KTM
Direct Energie
Drapac Professional Cycling
Fortuneo – Vital Concept
Funvic Soul Cycles – Carrefour
Nippo – Vini Fantini
One Pro Cycling
Roompot Oranje Peloton
Roth-Skoda
Rusvelo
Team Novo Nordisk
Tharcor
Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team
Verva Activejet Pro Cycling Team
Wanty – Groupe Gobert

Daniel

Forget Astana, how the hell does Southeast continue to get a licence? It seems that every year they have a doping scandal or three, they wail about how it will ruin them, then they change names and repeat.
Larry @CycleItalia

Makes one wonder just how awful your team must be to NOT be granted a license these days? I’m amazed that tiny Colnago can come up with the loot to sponsor ANY team in the days of the mega money handed out by the Big S, G, T along with other “brands” that are little more than a sticker on an Asian-made carbon fiber downtube.
- Dave
  
  Much of the Colnago range is just stickers on Asian mass-produced frames.
  
  Their sponsorship of Europcar/Direct Energie is obviously quite a minor one, since the team appears to be preferring to leave the second naming rights slot vacant in hope of attracting another big ticket sponsor.
  - Larry @CycleItalia
    
    RE: Colnago, does anyone NOT know that, Dave? In any case, their production numbers are tiny compared to the Big Boyz, though I believe they still create (as does Trek) their top-line frames (like the C60) in-house.
    - Dave
      
      Unless they are doing something wrong, they should be selling enough China-go bikes with a healthy profit margin to make a good deal of cash.
      
      Obviously they don’t have the volume to justify big ticket naming rights deals like Trek or Cannondale do with WorldTeams, but they will still have plenty of profits to invest into lower-level sponsorships which could even be purely in-kind sponsorship without any cash transfers involved.
      - Larry @CycleItalia
        
        I hope they’re making some money, but let’s face it - how many bikes do you think they sell world-wide compared to the Big S or G? I’d wager their entire production for a year doesn’t equal what the Big S or G sells in ONE market (US, Australia, Europe, China, etc.)