"Strange that this is even being considered at all"; Plugge not a fan of "changing rules of the game during the game"

On March 26, a decision is expected on whether to grant an extra wildcard for the Grand Tours. With the rise of several strong teams and the presence of national squads, race organizers for the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España are facing a tough choice. However, not everyone is in favor of allowing one additional team per grand tour.

Richard Plugge, CEO of Visma | Lease a Bike, sees it as a safety concern. "One of the safety rules is that we cannot have more than 176 riders in a Grand Tour. So I would find it strange to suddenly add eight more riders. I have nothing against any particular team, but handing out an extra wildcard would devalue the WorldTour," he told Sporza.

From a promotion/relegation standpoint, Plugge also believes it would be unfair."A team could suddenly be added that earns a lot of points, which could create serious problems for lower-ranked WorldTour teams. That would essentially mean changing the rules mid-game. I find it strange that this is even being considered at all."

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Uno-X: "Of course an additional wildcard would be a good decision"

Tudor, Q36.5, and Uno-X are among the major teams vying for a wildcard, competing against ProContinental teams from Italy, France, and Spain for a spot in the Grand Tours. "Of course, granting an extra wildcard would be a good decision," says Thor Hushovd on behalf of Uno-X.

"The Tour, Giro, and Vuelta are the biggest stages in cycling. For smaller teams, it’s crucial to earn points in these races and get hours of TV exposure," the Norwegian explained, expressing confidence in a favorable outcome. "If you look at our results and racing style, I think we deserve a Tour de France invitation. The signals we’re getting regarding a Tour wildcard are positive, so I’m optimistic that we’ll be on the start line in July."

For now, however, all eyes are on March 26, when the final decision will be made. "At this point, all we can do is wait," Hushovd concluded.

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