WorldTour promotion: Uno-X mathematically promoted, Cofidis probably has to leave WorldTour

The 2025 cycling season has come to an end, and with it it has also been decided which 18 teams will be represented in the WorldTour, cycling's top league, for the next three years. While most of the teams had already secured their position, the battle for the last free place was only decided on the final race weekend. The Norwegian pro team Uno-X Mobility ultimately prevailed over the French WorldTour team Cofidis and will probably ride in the highest category from 2026. The decision was made at the Veneto Classic in Italy, where Uno-X rider Sakarias Koller Løland celebrated his first professional victory and collected crucial UCI points for his team. The Norwegian beat Florian Vermeersch and Diego Ulissi in the sprint to secure 200 valuable UCI points for his team. The UCI still has to finalise the promotion and relegation, but the decision has already been made in terms of points.

Although Uno-X is currently in 19th place, one place below the bottom line, the merger of Intermarché - Wanty and Lotto, both of which are currently in the top 18, would see Uno-X move up one place in the WorldTour ranks. With Israel - Premier Tech (in future under a different name) and Lotto (in future as a merged team with Intermarché), there are two further climbers.

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The decisive points advantage

In the end, the difference between promotion and relegation was only 398 points - a relatively small margin compared to the thousands of points collected over the entire season. Before the final race weekend, Uno-X Mobility's lead over Cofidis was only 174 points, which meant that a victory at the Veneto Classic with its 200 points could have turned the tide.

Team Director Emil Vinjebo could hardly contain his joy after the race: "Everyone was so nervous this morning, you could really feel the tension. And now? They just raced really well." The nervousness was understandable, because for Uno-X Mobility there was nothing less at stake than the historic first promotion of a Norwegian team to the WorldTour.

Cofidis' futile fight to stay in the race

For Cofidis, the result means a bitter relegation after many years in the highest category of cycling. The traditional French team led by Emanuel Buchmann had tried everything in the final weeks of the season to avert the threat of relegation. At the Tour of Guangxi in China and races in Japan, they were able to make up points and reduce the gap to Uno-X Mobility. But in the end it was not enough to defend their place in the WorldTour.

However, Cofidis will initially fall by the wayside. Although they are no longer obliged to start in all WorldTour competitions due to relegation, the French team, as one of the three best ProTeams (cycling's second division) in 2025 alongside Tudor Pro Cycling Team and Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, have automatic starting rights for all races in cycling's premier class in 2026, including the Tour de France.

France will therefore only be represented by two teams in the WorldTour next season instead of the previous four: Groupama-FDJ and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team. In addition to Cofidis, Arkéa - B&B Hotels is also leaving the WorldTour, but for a different reason - the team will disband after this season as no new sponsors could be found.