The UCI has accepted complaints from teams and has decided to pospone the introduction of a new ranking system. Instead, the well-known WorldTour will be in place for the 2015 season.

The UCI had planned to abandon the concept of a WorldTour ranking in favour a single rolling ranking of riders of all elite and under-23 categories based on a 52-week rolling basis with the rankings updated each Monday. However, several teams have compained about the plans as they had designed their schedules and rider recruitment on the WorldTour system.

As the points can be crucial in getting a WorldTour license for 2016 and after a major reform has been introduced in 2017, the UCI has decided to postpone the introduction. 

“In line with its policy of encouraging an open dialogue within the cycling family, the UCI has taken note of some concerns expressed recently on the subject of new rankings due to be introduced in 2015,” reads a UCI letter that has been sent to teams, national federations and organisers.

“It has indeed become clear that the new ranking system was presenting teams and riders with considerable problems given that they had assumed that they would be working in 2015 with the 2014 system and had built their structures and planned their seasons accordingly.

“While reiterating our entire confidence in the work carried out by the members of the Road Commission and the “Rankings” Working Group, those concerns convinced us of the merits of a postponement of the introduction of the new regulation to allow all parties to adapt to the new ranking system.”

The UCI will now test the new system based on results of the 2015 season before making a decision for the 2016 season.