Is the UCI throwing a lifeline to Tudor and Q36.5? Having more teams in Grand Tours seems within reach

The ASO has a tough call to make: should they give a Tour de France wildcard to TotalEnergies, Tudor, Q36.5, or Uno-X? Right now, only two of these four teams are set to start in Lille — or could that change? According to Marca, many ProTeams are pushing the UCI to allow more wildcards for the Grand Tours.

Currently, 22 teams can compete in the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España, but many ProTeams feel this isn’t enough. The demand for more slots is growing louder, as these three-week races provide a rare chance for visibility and publicity — both of which are crucial in the cycling world.

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Uno-X made its mark in the 2024 Tour

Expansion won’t increase safety risks, experts say

Additional slots recently became available in the Giro d’Italia when Lotto gave up its automatic participation, but this won’t be the case for the other two Grand Tours. Israel–Premier Tech retains its three automatic invitations. Organizers often prefer teams from their own countries, but the rise of ProConti teams like Switzerland’s Tudor and Q36.5 is making these decisions increasingly complex.

Can the ASO afford to leave French gold medalist Julian Alaphilippe at home in favor of Pierre Latour and Anthony Turgis? Or does this decision put the likes of Tom Pidcock, Alexander Kristoff, and Magnus Cort at risk? Both Swiss ProTeams made significant investments last winter, and have brought in some very big names: Tudor signed Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi, while Q36.5 secured Tom Pidcock.

Expanding the number of teams would increase the total field of participants from 176 to 184 riders. According to safety experts, this wouldn’t pose additional risks. This is important, because the number of teams and riders allowed at the start was reduced a few years ago to improve race safety.

A decision on whether to admit an extra team is expected soon. A UCI meeting scheduled for late January will likely address this issue. The atmosphere among ProConti teams is optimistic, and insiders suggest that expansion is a real possibility.

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No Alaphilippe in the Tour this year? 

RCS and ASO open to a change 

While the addition of a team would increase organizational costs, RCS (Giro) and ASO (Tour and Vuelta) appear open to the idea. The Association of Cycling Teams (AIGCP) has long advocated for having more teams at the start, which not only increases visibility but also reduces selection stress for organizers.

Marca also reports which teams are currently in pole position in the race for wildcards. For the Vuelta, Caja Rural–Seguros RGA and Burgos-BH are strong contenders. The ASO has followed a rotation system in recent years, giving Spain’s four ProTeams a chance every other year. For the Giro, Polti VisitMalta and Bardiani-CSF have a good shot. As for the Tour, TotalEnergies and Uno-X are currently the top candidates.

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