While most of the discussion has surrounded the Astana team, it seems that the Kazakh team is not the only formation whose WorldTour license in hanging in the balance. Manager Jean-Rene Bernaudeau admits that financial difficulties may prevent Europcar from riding another year at the highest level.

Will the Europcar team remain in the WorldTour in 2015? According to team manager Jean-Rene Bernaudeau, that is still uncertain.

"I went to the UCI license commission but things are a bit difficult because my budget is tight," Vendée manager told Sud-Ouest and before admitting that 5% of his 2015 budget is still uncertain.

Europcar has alreadyannounced its intention to end its sponsorship after the 2015 season, leaving the team of Thomas Voeckler, Pierre Roland, Bryan Coquard, Romain Sicard and new signing Thomas Boudat with an uncertain future. Now things have been even more complicated due to the uncertainty over which level they will be riding at next season.

"The license is pending," said Bernaudeau. "But I don't think we are the only team in this situation. Several teams find it hard to get the sufficient money."

Between December 8 and 10, the UCI will announce a list of 18 teams that will be riding at the highest level. In particular, it will decide the fate of the Astana team after the team has been tainted by two positive doping tests from brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy and positives from three riders from the continental team. Bernaudeau is convinced that the UCI needs to be more intransigent. 

"I finished myhearing at the same time as this happened," he said. "It is trye that some teams have some financial difficulties but others have lots of money but are suffering from other problems. The UCI has to choose..."

The 18 teams expected to make up the World Tour in 2015 are AG2R-La Mondiale, Astana, Lampre, Lotto, Movistar, Orica-GreenEdge, Europcar, Giant-Alpecin, IAM Cycling, Katusha, Sky, BMC, Cannondale, Etixx-Quick Step, FDJ, LottoNL, Saxo-Tinkoff and Trek Factory Racing.