Team Sky Awarded New World Tour License by UCI

UCI World Tour’s Team Sky have been awarded a new three-year licence after the International Cycling Union confirmed the make-up of cycling’s top division for next season and beyond.

Ten teams were already licensed for 2014 and eight more licences have been handed out, with Team Sky, Astana, Movistar and Orica-GreenEdge secured for the next three seasons.

Lampre-Merida have been handed a two-year licence and there was confirmation that Team Europcar are moving up to WorldTour level, also for the next two years.

To round out the 18 top-division teams, Argos-Shimano and Trek Factory Racing, formerly the RadioShack-Leopard team, have been granted registration for the 2014 season.

Ag2r-La Mondiale, Belkin, BMC Racing, Cannondale, FDJ, Garmin-Sharp, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step, Katusha, Tinkoff-Saxo and Lotto-Belisol had already received their licences.

A further 16 teams already knew they would be in the second division of teams, including Cofidis, IAM Cycling and MTN-Qhubeka, and they have been joined by a 17th team – the Bretagne-Seche Environnement squad, from France.