2021 Grand Tour peloton enhanced to 23 teams

This year’s Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España will have an increased industry of 23 groups and 184 riders following the UCI permitted the existence of an extra wild card workforce in a one-off evaluate owing to the affect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sport. 



a group of people riding on the back of a motorcycle: Etoile de Besseges 2021


© Furnished by Cycling Information
Etoile de Besseges 2021

The dimension of the Grand Tour pelotons had been lowered to 22 teams of 8 riders every single in latest a long time in an attempt to lessen the risk of crashes and to boost rider security. The 19 WorldTour teams are all immediately invited to the Grand Excursions, with Alpecin-Fenix also assured of a spot after topping the ProTeam rankings in 2020. 

Making it possible for 23 teams in 2021 will also avoid some tricky conclusions for the a few Grand Tour organisers. In a crew announcement nowadays, Tour de France organisers confirmed all a few French ProTeams – Total-Direct Énergie, Staff Arkéa-Samsic and B & B Hôtels p/b KTM – would experience the 108th version, which starts off in Brest, shut to the headquarters of the 3 teams.  

All a few Spanish Professional Teams – Burgos-BH, Caja Rural and Euskaltel-Euskadi – are most likely to now safe places at the Vuelta a España, while an extra location for a crew also can help the organisers of the Giro d’Italia, who faced leaving out at the very least two Italian ProTeams. 

The Eolo-Kometa ProTeam established by Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso are predicted to protected a wildcard invitation to the 2021 Giro d’Italia just after stepping up to ProTeam stage, leaving Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, Bardiani-CSF-Faizane, Vini Zabu-Brado-KTM, Gazprom and Team Arkea-Samsic preventing for the ultimate destinations. 

The UCI confirmed the further position in the three Grand Excursions though asserting a variety of selections taken by UCI Administration Committee on race and rider safety, donations to the CPA rider affiliation and bicycle metropolitan areas. 

“Following the ask for from the 3 Countrywide Federations involved (France, Spain and Italy), the optimum amount of riders at the start of the Grand Tours was exceptionally greater to 184 from the typical 176,” the UCI claimed. 

“This maximize of eight riders will help organisers, if they want, to invite an further workforce to their function beneath the wildcard process. Nonetheless, the variety of riders for each group at the start out of the Grand Tours will continue to be set at eight. 

“This adjustment, relevant in 2021 only, will give quite a few groups and several riders excess possibilities for competitors at the greatest level in a period of time which has viewed them noticeably lowered.”