Here is the list of who is riding what in 2015. You’ll find all the pro team bikes for the 17 World Tour teams and the 19 Pro Continental teams.
New UCI Points System for 2015
The UCI have brought out a new system of points and rankings for 2015. The main ranking is the “UCI World Classification”, a rolling ranking of riders of all categories based on performances over the previous 52 weeks as opposed to each season or calendar year. Within this there are big changes to the allocation of points across races, for example all three grand tours are now treated equally.
All this is buried in a PDF listing modifications to the rulebook but below is a summary of the changes along with the new points scales.
Update Sunday 25 January: the UCI has scrapped the introduction of this scheme for 2015 following protests by teams upset at the sudden introduction. It should be back for 2016 but until then the old system applies: calendar year, more points for the Tour de France etc.
Germany Comes in From The Cold
Giant-Alpecin launched the team for 2015 today. We know the sponsors, we know the riders, so what’s new? Well the location was telling, they used the French embassy in Berlin. While most teams book a hotel or a theatre this one went for the grandiose symbolism of diplomacy and Franco-German unity. This is about much more than bikes and shampoo.
2015 World Tour Rider Age and Nationality
There are 474 riders from 41 nations registered with the 17 UCI World Tour teams for 2015.
The average age of a rider is 28 years and 3 months. The oldest rider is the 40 year-old Matteo Tosatto (Tinkoff-Saxo) who is pictured above and just seven years younger than his boss Oleg Tinkov. Lampre-Merida’s Colombian neo-pro Eduardo Estrada is the youngest pro, aged 19.
Here’s a look at the 2015 World Tour peloton in numbers. There’s a look at rider age, the “oldest team” and also analysis of how many pros come from each country and more.
Happy New WADA Code
A new year and it’s straight into the heavy stuff with the revised WADA Code for 2015. It brings stronger anti-doping rules, like a four year ban, and is now in effect. Here’s a summary of the changes.
Film Review: Le Vélo de Ghislain Lambert
“The loser” is a regular in comedy films yet celebrated in cycling where the lanterne rouge can be a hero. Add on scenes from retro Belgium circa 1970, insert a comic actor with good timing and an elastic face and things get better.
This Belgium film dates from 2001 and is widely available, complete with English subtitles. If cycling films are rare, this is a gem.
10 Neo-Pros to Watch for 2015
After picking 10 established pros to watch for 2015, here are some neo-pros to keep a look out for. You’ll know some already, the definition of a neo-pro is someone in their first two years. But a good first year doesn’t always bring glorious second year, just ask Moreno Moser or Brice Feillu.
Below there’s a mix of sprinters, climbers, classics contenders and future stage race stars.
2015 Pro Cycling Calendar
Happy New Year to all readers. Look at the calendar above and you can now see some pro races appearing with the Tour de San Luis in Argentina before the World Tour season starts with the Tour Down Under.
It’s a 2015 calendar of all the major men’s and women’s races and over the course of the year the calendar was the most viewed page. But you don’t have to come here every time you want to know what’s on, included below are instructions to download it to your smartphone or electronic diary.
10 Riders to Watch for 2015
Here’s a selection of ten established riders to watch for 2015. Some stand on the cusp of a big win, others face challenges on the road, some have other struggles.
2015 Wildcards
One of the best stories in sport is seeing the underdog triumph. Enrico Battaglin’s stage win at the Giro was one example, the conclusion to a thrilling stage with two riders from wildcard teams sprinting for the stage win against Sky’s Dario Cataldo. It took plenty but started with a wildcard invitation, the modest Bardian-CSF team isn’t guaranteed a start in any race.
Europcar’s ejection from the World Tour and the merger of Cannondale and Garmin means only 17 teams have guaranteed entry to the top races. The other places can be given on an invitational basis. For the second division teams, officially labelled “UCI Pro Continental” teams, there’s no bigger prize than an invite to the Tour de France. Here’s a look at the candidates for an invite and the system as a whole. Decisions for an invite are due next month.