The same 18 teams who held men’s UCI WorldTour (WT) licences in 2023 have got one for 2024. The licence period now runs over three-year periods, with points accumulated over those seasons and the top 18 teams being awarded a licence for the next three years. So despite Astana-Qazaqstan and Arkéa–Samsic finishing outside the top 18 in 2023, they’ll continue with a WT licence until 2026. A WT licence means the team has to ride all WT races, while those with a ProTeam licence, the next level down, must rely on invites. Exceptions to this rule are the top two 2023 ProTeams, Lotto-Dstny and Israel-Premier Tech, who receive automatic wildcards to the Grand Tours, even if they’re not obliged to accept them. Ranking points are awarded not just in WT races but all UCI races, including World and National Championships and under-23 racing. The number of points awarded depends on the prestige of the race. For example, the Tour de France winner nets the biggest haul, 1,300 points, a one-day Monument like Tour of Flanders gets 800, week-long WorldTour stage race Tirreno-Adriatico 500 and one-day Classic Brabantse Pijl 200.
UAE TEAM EMIRATES
Nationality UAE Established 1999 Manager Mauro Gianetti Bike Colnago 2023 WT wins 28 2023 UCI ranking 1
Despite Jumbo-Visma winning all three Grand Tours, the vagaries of the rankings system ensured UAE Team Emirates finished the season as world number one. A big part of that, of course, was the 10 WorldTour wins of Tadej Pogačar, but it was a bigger spread of wins across the team – a weakness up until now – that elevated the team. The signing of Adam Yates proved inspired. The Bury man offered strong mountains support for Pogačar in the Tour de France, the first yellow jersey of that race and wins in Romandie and Montreal. Incoming for 2024 are climber Pavel Sivakov and Nils Politt, who’ll be a strength for Pogačar as he takes aim at the Giro-Tour double.
Tadej Pogačar
Though runner-up in the Tour de France again, big wins elsewhere ensured Pogačar’s world number one ranking for the third year running
TEAM VISMA-LEASE A BIKE
Nationality Netherlands Established 1990 Manager Richard Plugge Bike Cervélo 2023 WT wins 38 2023 UCI ranking 2
How do you top a season like 2023? Winning all three Grand Tours of the year was unprecedented. However, they’ll be without the rider who’s done so much to elevate them to the top,
