During the year that is close to ending, the UCI points were hotter than ever in cycling (especially in Spain due to the situation of Movistar in the middle of the season). This is due to the triennial system of promotion and relegation points in the World Tour category established by the UCI, for which two teams have already lost the category: Israel and Lotto Soudal. Thus, As AS learned, at the UCI Steering Committee this week in Monaco It was one of the main issues and they do not rule out upcoming changes.
The request of some runners, teams and organizers is that the great tours, Monuments… have a much higher score than other minor races (in the current system they are very equal). For this reason, the UCI will study it and, before meeting again the first week of February, They will continue to see the different possibilities for modifications. Despite this, immediate changes could be made and a telematic vote could be carried out, but the Steering Committee sees it as “unlikely” for this to happen. A final decision will be made, a priori, when they meet again on the occasion of the Cyclocross World Championship at the beginning of February. Alpecin and Arkea, new World Tour teams, were already present in this Committee.
Another change for 2023 will be for team cars to be spaced 15 meters from a rider in time trial stages so they don’t benefit from aerodynamics. In recent times, it has been very common to see team vehicles go behind their main rider when it comes to disputing the time trial… with a large number of bicycles on its roof, to favor the protagonist in terms of wind issues, mainly. As for the invitations to grand tours, for 2023 they will remain the same, but from 2024 there will be news: the teams that the organization invites must meet certain parameters and be in a certain position in the ranking (top 50, top 40… still to be decided) that will be progressive with the passing of the years: each time they should be in a position closer to the head. In February, this Steering Committee will return to address these and other issues.