Saxo-Tinkoff in - Katusha out

Bjarne Riis can keep smiling as his
team finally got a World Tour license.

Today The International Cycling Union (UCI) finally revealed all the 18 World Tour teams for 2013 and in the end Bjarne Riis and Team Saxo-Tinkoff managed to secure their status in the cycling elite. Instead Katusha - who ended 2^ndon the UCI World Tour team ranking - was left out.

Earlier this week Roman Kreuziger explained that for him it wouldn�t really matter if Team Saxo-Tinkoff got the World Tour license or not as he was sure they would be given wild cards to all the big races anyway. �Everybody wants to have Alberto [Contador] in the their race so I�m not worried�, Kreuziger said and I�m sure the situation will be the same for Katusha.

Having Joaquim �Purito� Rodriguez - winner of the individual UCI World Tour ranking for the second year in a row - plus strong riders like Dani Moreno, Denis Menchov, Alexander Kristoff etc. on the team surely counts when the race organizers are sending out invitations. I for one will be very surprised not to see Purito and Katusha in the big races in 2013�

These are the 18 World Tour teams for next year:

Astana Pro Team

BMC Racing Team

Cannondale

Lampre � Merida

Omega Pharma � Quick Step Cycling Team 

ORICA GreenEDGE

Sky Procycling

Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team

Movistar Team

AG2R La Mondiale 

Euskaltel Euskadi

Former Rabobank

Garmin Sharp

Team Argos�Shimano 

Team Saxo � Tinkoff

FDJ

Lotto Belisol

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