As in football, the UCI has introduced a system of promotion and relegation in cycling.
In 2020, 18 teams received a license for the WorldTour, the highest class in cycling. That license is valid for 3 years: from 2020 to 2022.
At the end of this season, the UCI will again distribute 18 WorldTour licenses to the teams that have collected the most points in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
There is still a safety net for 3 teams that cannot secure a place in the WorldTour, but that have performed strongly in the last year.
The two teams (1 from the WorldTour, 1 procontinental) who fail first may (but must not) participate in all WorldTour races, the number 3 will receive an invitation to all one-day races of the WorldTour.
It is important to know that per team only the largest 10 points packers per year are charged. Especially the leaders and shadow leaders must therefore drive in the prizes.
The most points can be collected in the grand rounds. For example, the final winner of the Tour is rewarded with no less than 1,000 points. The overall victory in the Giro or the Vuelta yields 850 points.
Stage wins are less interesting. A stage win in Tour, Giro or Vuelta brings the team fewer points than a win in say the Egmont Cycling Race or the Omloop van het Houtland.
The World Cycling Championships, both on the road and against the clock, is also lucrative, with 600 and 350 points respectively for the riders who will run with the rainbow jersey.
