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Europcar given Professional Continental licence for 2015

UCI says French outfit has fulfilled financial criteria - but with sponsorship now in final year, future still uncertain

Europcar has been granted a Professional Continental licence for the 2015 season, with the UCI saying the French outfit has now satisfied the necessary financial criteria.

The team, whose roster includes Thomas Voeckler and Pierre Rolland, lost its top-flight status in December when the UCI's licence commission said it had fauled to meet registration requirements.

Jean-René Bernaudeau's outfit will now have to rely on wild card entries to WorldTourraces including the Tour de France.

With the car-hire firm that sponsors it already confirmed to be withdrawing its backing at the end of this year, teh French team's longer-term future is far from secure.

In a press release, world cycling's governing body said:

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) today announced that it has registered Team Europcar as a UCI Professional Continental Team for the 2015 season.

The UCI Licence Commission had denied the Team Europcar the status of UCI WorldTeam for the 2015 season, considering that the team had not fulfilled the necessary financial criteria. The UCI Licence Commission left the UCI to reassess the team’s file with a view to registering it as a UCI Professional Continental Team.

On the basis of the new file provided, the UCI considers that Team Europcar has secured sufficient financial guarantees as required by UCI regulations.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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4 comments

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truffy | 9 years ago
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Quote:

fauled

Quote:

WorldTourraces

Quote:

teh

Is there a copy editor in the house?

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Gasman Jim | 9 years ago
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Just doesn't seem right that Astana got a licence while these guys didn't.

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notfastenough replied to Gasman Jim | 9 years ago
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Gasman Jim wrote:

Just doesn't seem right that Astana got a licence while these guys didn't.

I agree, although as much as I like Europcar - they are often the ones to animate a race - I do keep coming across rumours about mischief within their ranks. Still, they aren't the ones getting the daily dope bust... I do nonetheless think it's crazy that Astana can secure a WT license over these guys.

Was it not Europcar that expressed a preference for proconti status with WT wildcards, for financial reasons? Specifically, being able to opt out of the obligation to chase the WT race calendar?

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stenmeister | 9 years ago
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So that's what Tommy Voeckler looks like off the bike  16

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