Following the announcement that Team Dimension Data has been granted a WorldTour license, the UCI has confirmed that another six teams have also been allowed entry into the elite division. This means that the 2016 WorldTour will consist of the maximum of 18 teams.

In accordance with UCI Regulations and following a full review of all criteria for attribution (administrative, ethical, financial and sporting), the Licence Commission has decided to grant a UCI WorldTour licence to the following teams:

CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
DIMENSION DATA
ETIXX - QUICK STEP
TEAM KATUSHA
LAMPRE-MERIDA
LOTTO SOUDAL
TINKOFF 

Therefore teams registered as UCI WorldTeams (1st division) for 2016 are the following (team/UCI Code/nationality):

AG2R LA MONDIALE (ALM – FRA)
ASTANA PRO TEAM (AST – KAZ)
BMC RACING TEAM (BMC – USA)
CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM (CPT – USA)
DIMENSION DATA (DDD – RSA)
ETIXX - QUICK STEP (EQS – BEL)
FDJ (FDJ – FRA)
IAM CYCLING (IAM – SUI)
LAMPRE-MERIDA (LAM – ITA)
LOTTO SOUDAL (LTS – BEL)
MOVISTAR TEAM (MOV – ESP)
ORICA GREENEDGE (OGE – AUS)
TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN (TGA – GER)
TEAM KATUSHA (KAT – RUS)
TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO (TLJ – NED)
TEAM SKY (SKY – GBR)
TINKOFF (TNK – RUS)
TREK FACTORY RACING (TFR – USA)

In 2015, there were only 17 WorldTour teams but in 2018 the elite league will consist of the maximum number of formations.

Teams Roth-Skoda and Cult Energy – Stölting Group have joined the UCI Professional Continental Teams. Both teams had already revealed the news in recent days.

Teams registered as a UCI Professional Continental Team (2nd division) for 2016 are the following (team/UCI code/nationality):

ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI (AND – ITA)
BORA – ARGON 18 (BOA – GER)
CAJA RURAL – SEGUROS RGA (CJR – ESP)
COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS (COF – FRA)
CULT ENERGY – STÖLTING GROUP (CST – DEN)
DELKO MARSEILLE PROVENCE KTM (DMP – FRA)
DRAPAC PROFESSIONAL CYCLING (DPC – AUS)
FORTUNEO – VITAL CONCEPT (FVC – FRA)
FUNVIC SOUL CYCLES – CARREFOUR (FSC – BRA)
NIPPO – VINI FANTINI (NIP – ITA)
ONE PRO CYCLING (ONE – GBR)
ROOMPOT ORANJE PELOTON (ROP – NED)
ROTH-SKODA (ROT – SUI)
RUSVELO (RVL – RUS)
TEAM NOVO NORDISK (TNN – USA)
TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE (TSV – BEL)
UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM (UHC – USA)
VERVA ACTIVEJET PRO CYCLING TEAM (VAT – POL)
WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT (WGG – BEL)

Four teams applying for UCI Professional Continental status are still under review of the Licence Commission. They are Tharcor (Southeast), Bardiani, CCC Sprandi-Polkowice and Direct Energie (Europcar). With regards to those teams, the UCI will communicate the decisions of the Licence Commission concerning the award of further licences during December.