Team Sky have been awarded a new three-year UCI ProTeam licence, the sport’s governing body has confirmed.
The British team has enjoyed phenomenal success since forming in 2010 – including Sir Bradley Wiggins’ 2012 Tour de France win and Chris Froome repeating the feat this year.
And Sir Dave Brailsford’s squad, whose licence was up for renewal, are one of six teams confirmed by the UCI as having received new contracts.
Spanish outfit Movistar, who pipped Sky to the world number one ranking following Benat Intxausti’s Tour of Beijing win, also have a new three-year licence, as do Giro d’Italia champion Vincenzo Nibali’s Astana.
Australian team Orica-GreenEDGE, whose second year in the peloton saw both Simon Gerrans and Daryl Impey wear the Tour de France’s maillot jaune has also been granted a new licence.
Lampre-Merida, who will boast world champion Rui Costa among their ranks next year, and Team Europcar – promoted to the top level of professional cycling for the first time – both have two-year licences.
Trek Factory Racing were also granted the licence transfer from Radioshack-Leopard – with whom veteran Chris Horner won this year’s Vuelta a Espana, and Argos-Shimano have also been awarded a 2014 licence.
The news follows an initial announcement last month, which confirmed nine teams had their places in the top division of professional cycling.
American duo Garmin-Sharp and BMC Racing Team, French teams Ag2r-La Mondiale and FDJ.fr, Italy’s Cannondale, Belgium-based Omega Pharma-Quickstep and Dutch team Belkin were all included on the list.
Russia’s Team Katusha, who boast world number one Joaquim Rodriguez, were also confirmed in the previous announcement, having initially been denied a licence in 2013 only to be reinstated on appeal.
Recently renamed Team Tinkoff Saxo, who are now owned by Russian investment bank supremo Oleg Tinkov, completed the initial nine while a tenth team, Lotto-Belisol, were added to the list late last month after problems with their initial application were corrected.
French second tier team Bretagne-Seche Environnement also corrected issues with their initial application, allowing them to join the 16 other registered UCI Pro Continental teams in cycling’s second tier.
Others granted a place on the Pro Continental include MTN-Qhubeka, with whom Gerald Ciolek won this year’s Milan-San Remo, Team Colombia, IAM Cycling and Cofidis.
UCI Pro Teams 2014
Ag2r-La Mondiale (FRA)
Belkin Pro Cycling (NED)
BMC Racing (USA)
Cannondale (ITA)
FDJ.fr (FRA)
Garmin-Sharp (USA)
Omega Pharma-Quickstep (BEL)
Katusha (RUS)
Tinkoff-Saxo (DEN)
Lotto-Belisol (BEL)
Astana (KAZ)
Lampre-Merida (ITA)
Movistar (ESP)
Orica-GreenEDGE (AUS)
Team Sky (GBR)
Europcar (FRA)
Argos-Shimano (NED)
Trek Factory Racing (USA)
