There is no change in sight regarding the reduction of team sizers unilaterally declared by ASO, RCS and Flanders Classics after the Congress of the International Cycling Union which took place in recent days in Mallorca. The International Cycling Union has attempted stop the three organizers but Mauro Vegni (RCS) confirms that nothing has changed and that the three organizers remain committed to bring the reduction into place in 2017.

On Friday, November 25, ASO, RCS and Flanders Classics commonly announced that the number of riders per team in their races will be reduced from nine to eight in grand tours and from eight to seven in their other races. The change concerns 26 events, including 18 Worl Tour races (including the three Grand Tours). But in WorldTour events, the situation is not as simple as such a reform must be approved by the Professional Cycling Council (CCP). Furthermore, the UCI responded on the very next with a statement where they pointed to the need of approval from the PCC, adding that “this subject was discussed at the last PCC meeting in November 2016, and it was agreed to consider in detail the implications of such reduction over the coming months, with no change for 2017.”

This is important because it means that the three organizers who are represented in the PCC, including Christian Prudhomme, director of Cycling at ASO, knew that this Council and the UCI were opposed to the reform, at least in the immediate future. But the statement of the three organizers did not leave anything to chance. "This decision will take effect from the 2017 season,” they wrote.

On the UCI Congress which was held in Mallorca, the three organizers would have liked to address the issue. According to Spanish newspaper AS, they were told that the PCC had to make a decision and the teams were also opposed to the change taking effect in 2017. AS reports that the organizers were disappointed not to discuss the issue in that “common forum” while the UCI started informally that reducing the number of riders per team was only a request from the organizers and not a firm will and that they had agreed to submit it to the relevant UCI bodies. The Professional Cycling Council is much more restricted in terms of representativeness, as there are six representatives of federations, a representative of the riders, a member of the CPA (riders’ union), two team representatives and two representatives of the organizers.

ASO, RCS and Flanders Classics have not officially communicated their intentions at the end of the UCI Congress. It is possible that they are working together to make a proper response. Howeber, it is also likely that there will be no immediate reaction. 

If the UCI and the PCC agree to reduce the number of riders per team, "they will do it for all races," RCS director Mauro Vegni told VeloNews. “Us three can decide for our races, but the UCI won’t make rules just for our races and not for the others. It’ll be an all or nothing decision.”
 

“Nothing has changed since two weeks ago when we sent out our e-mails. We think the change is right and needed, but maybe they are going to say we lack time.

Vegni justified the decision of the three organizers, claiming that they have to take of the security due to the lack of decisions of the governing bodies. They have “too many meetings without taking a single decision," he explained to VeloNews.