The UCI have announced the list of teams that have applied for WorldTour and Pro Continental licenses for the 2016 season.

The list of possible WorldTour teams include all the seventeen teams that have been registered in 2015. The rules allow for 18 teams to obtain a license for the top tier but no other teams have applied.

Earlier both the Direct Energie team which is now known as Europcar, and Dimension Data, the current MTN-Qhubeka team, had spoken about their desire to join the WorldTour. However, both teams feature on the list of teams that have applied for a Pro Continental license.

In addition to teams that already operate at the second division level, the French Delko Marseille Provence KTM and the Swiss Roth Skoda. Surprisingly, the British One Pro Cycling and Polish ActiveJet which have stated their intention to step up to the second tier, are not on the list. Furthermore, the Drapacand Colombia teams who have both stated their intentions to continue at this level, are absent from the list. Tharcor could be the new sponsor of the Southeast team but that is unconfirmed at this point.

A few teams will have new names. Europcar will be known as Direct Energie, Southeast will have the Tharcor name and Bretagne will go under the name Fortuneo-Vital Concept.

According to the rules, teams that have failed to submit the necessary documents have until October 20 to do so. Otherwise they will be excluded from the registration process.

Teams applying for registration as a UCI WorldTeam (1st division):

AG2R LA MONDIALE

• ASTANA PRO TEAM
• BMC RACING TEAM
• FDJ
• IAM CYCLING
• MOVISTAR TEAM
• ORICA GreenEDGE
• TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
• TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
• TEAM SKY
• TREK FACTORY RACING
• CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
• ETIXX – QUICK STEP
• LAMPRE – MERIDA
• LOTTO SOUDAL
• TEAM KATUSHA
• TINKOFF

Teams applying for registration as a UCI Professional Continental Team (2nd division):

ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI

• BARDIANI CSF
• BORA – ARGON 18
• CAJA RURAL – SEGUROS RGA
• CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
• COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
• CULT ENERGY – STÖLTING GROUP
• DELKO MARSEILLE PROVENCE KTM
• DIRECT ENERGIE
• DIMENSION DATA
• FORTUNEO – VITAL CONCEPT
• NIPPO – VINI FANTINI
• ROOMPOT ORANJE PELOTON
• ROTH – SKODA
• RUSVELO
• TEAM NOVO NORDISK
• TEAM THARCOR
• TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE
• UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM
• WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT