Licences: German women's team promoted to first division - YouTuber's men's team becomes second division

Two new Women's World Teams

There will be no new teams among the men's World Teams in 2024, as the next allocation of World Tour licences is not due until the end of 2025. In contrast, there have been some changes in the women's team: the German team Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling and the Belgian team AG Insurance - Soudal have been promoted to the Beletage. This means that there is now another German team in the Women's World Tour alongside Canyon//SRAM Racing.

On the other hand, the Basque team Laboral Kutxa - Fundacion Euskadi was not considered for the 15 licences for the Women's World Tour. The sporting criteria were decisive in favour of Ceratizit and AG Insurance-Soudal - Team Laboral Kutxa - Fundacion Euskadi is behind the first two teams mentioned in the world rankings. The Basque women will continue as the Women's Continental Team.

The teams of the UCI Women's World Tour 2024

• AG Insurance - Soudal Team (Belgium)
• Canyon//SRAM Racing (Germany)
• Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team (Germany)
• FDJ-Suez (France)
• Fenix-Deceuninck (Belgium)
• Human Powered Health (USA)
• Lidl-Trek (USA)
• Liv AlUla Jayco (Australia)
• Movistar (Spain)
• Roland (Switzerland)
• Team dsm-firmenich PostNL (Netherlands)
• Team SD Worx (Netherlands)
• UAE Team ADQ (United Arab Emirates)
• Uno-X Mobility (Norway)
• Visma | Lease a Bike (Netherlands)

Automatic starting rights for Cofidis and Tashkent City Women

For two smaller teams that are not part of the Women's World Tour, however, there is still a loophole that gives them automatic starting rights in all first division competitions. The UCI plans to give the two best women's Continental teams in the world rankings automatic starting rights based on their position in the rankings. In the women's category, these are Cofidis and Team Tashkent City Women from Uzbekistan.

Three teams enjoy special regulations in the men's competition

In the men's peloton, these start guarantees for all World Tour races go to the two best pro teams, Lotto-Dstny and Israel-Premier Tech, who were relegated last year. In addition, Uno-X Mobility, the third-best Pro Team in the world rankings, has the right to start in all one-day races of the World Tour.

Nothing is happening among the 18 men's World Teams. From a German perspective, Bora-Hansgrohe remains the only representative. The licences for the premier league will not be reissued until the end of 2025. However, there are signs The sporting battle for promotion and relegation is already showing clear trends, which TOUR recently highlighted.

One floor below, the UCI has named a new pro team. TDT-Unibet, the team of Dutch YouTuber Bas Tietema, has made the leap into the second division of cycling.

The teams of the UCI World Tour 2024

• Alpecin-Deceuninck (Belgium)
• Arkea-B&B Hotels (France)
• Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kazakhstan)
• Bahrain-Victorious (Bahrain)
• Bora-Hansgrohe (Germany)
• Cofidis (France)
• Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale (France)
• EF Education EasyPost (USA)
• Groupama-FDJ (France)
• Ineos Grenadiers (Great Britain)
• Intermarche-Wanty (Belgium)
• Lidl-Trek (USA)
• Movistar (Spain)
• Soudal - Quick Step (Belgium)
• Team dsm-firmenich PostNL (Netherlands)
• Team Jayco-AlUla (Australia)
• UAE Team Emirates (United Arab Emirates)
• Visma | Lease a Bike (Netherlands)

UCI Pro Teams 2024

• Bingoal WB (Belgium)
• Burgos-BH (Spain)
• Caja Rural - Seguros RGA (Spain)
• Corratec (Italy)
• Equipo Kern Pharma (Spain)
• Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spain)
• Israel-Premier Tech (Israel)
• Lotto-Dstny (Belgium)
• Polti-Kometa (Italy)
• Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (Switzerland)
• TDT-Unibet (Netherlands)
• Team Flanders-Baloise (Belgium)
• Team Novo Nordisk (USA)
• TotalEnergies (France)
• Tudor Pro Cycling Team (Switzerland)
• Uno-X Mobility (Norway)
• VF Group-Bardiani CSF - Faizane (Italy)