UCI leaves Picnic PostNL and Jayco AlUla off its first list: what will happen in 2027?

The future of Picnic PostNL is becoming complicated again. The International Cycling Union (UCI) published on Monday, October 19, the first list of teams that have submitted the necessary documentation to compete in 2027, and the Dutch formation does not appear on it. Neither does Jayco AlUla, another WorldTour team facing economic difficulties. Although this absence does not mean their exclusion from the top category, both must regularize their situation before the registration process concludes.

Picnic PostNL and Jayco AlUla absent from the first WorldTour team list for 2027

The UCI has officially published the list of teams that met the first administrative deadline to apply for registration for the 2027 season, which closed on October 15.

Of the 54 applications received across the four professional male and female categories, 48 have submitted all essential documentation within the established deadline. The other six are still part of the process but do not appear on the published list as they have pending documentation.

Among the most notable absences are Picnic PostNL and Jayco AlUla, in both their male and female structures. Of the 18 teams aspiring to compete in the men's WorldTour in 2027, only 16 appear on this first list.

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The UCI has not detailed which documents are missing in each case nor explained the specific reasons for these absences.

A new problem for Picnic PostNL amid a crisis

The news comes at a particularly delicate moment for the Dutch formation, which has been accumulating sports, economic, and internal problems for several weeks.

At the beginning of October, reports emerged suggesting that Picnic PostNL was considering voluntarily leaving the WorldTour to compete as a ProTeam in 2027, a solution that would allow it to reduce its sporting obligations and adapt its structure to a more limited budget.

However, just two days later, the team itself denied that it was preparing to drop a category and assured that its plans still included maintaining both its male and female teams in the WorldTour.

The problem is that Picnic PostNL was already starting from a different situation than the other major teams. When the UCI distributed the licenses for the 2026-2028 cycle, the Dutch structure received a limited authorization exclusively for 2026. Its extension to the following two seasons was conditioned on meeting certain financial requirements set by the Licensing Commission.

Last week, an investigation by NOS Sport and In De Waaier based on 71 testimonies denounced an alleged culture of fear within the team, with accusations of excessive control, retaliation, and psychological problems among some of its cyclists and staff.

The absence from this first administrative list now adds another uncertainty about its continuity in the elite, although it does not yet allow us to conclude that it will lose its license.

Jayco AlUla has also not completed the process

The other major absentee is Jayco AlUla, along with its women's team Liv AlUla Jayco.

The Australian structure already went through a similar situation during the registration process for 2026, when some issues related to bank guarantees initially prevented it from appearing on the list of teams.

On that occasion, it managed to resolve the administrative difficulties and ultimately obtained the WorldTour licenses. For now, it is unknown whether this year's absence is due to similar reasons or other issues.

Cyclists could terminate their contracts early

One of the most significant consequences of not having completed the documentation within the deadline directly affects the riders.

The UCI reminds in its statement that, according to its regulations and as long as the other applicable provisions are met, cyclists from teams that have not submitted all essential documentation can terminate their contracts early.

This is a particularly relevant possibility for teams that have riders committed for 2027 and whose continuity depends on the final registration of their respective teams.

However, this right disappears if the formation manages to regularize its situation and subsequently obtains its registration.

For now, there is no confirmation that any rider from Picnic PostNL or Jayco AlUla will take advantage of this possibility.

Euskaltel-Euskadi and TotalEnergies are also absent

The absences are not limited to the top category. In the list of male teams aspiring to compete as ProTeam, Euskaltel-Euskadi and TotalEnergies are also missing, two structures facing significant situations for the upcoming season.

The Basque team had managed to finish among the top 30 in the UCI ranking for 2026, a result that would allow it to aspire to invitations for the Grand Tours of 2027.

Meanwhile, TotalEnergies continues to work to secure its future after uncertainties related to the main sponsorship.

Equipo Kern Pharma, whose sponsor announced it would stop supporting the structure at the end of 2026, and Flanders-Baloise, which had already communicated the end of its activity, are also absent.

Among the Spanish teams that have submitted the essential documentation are Movistar Team, Burgos Burpellet BH, and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, as well as Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi in the female category.

The final list of teams for 2027 will be known on December 8

The situation can still change in the coming weeks. Teams that did not submit all the documentation before October 15 have the opportunity to complete their files during the registration procedure.

Meanwhile, the UCI, in collaboration with the auditing firm PwC, is reviewing the applications considering financial, administrative, and ethical criteria, in addition to the organizational requirements applicable to certain categories.

The decisive date will be December 8, 2026, when the UCI publishes the final list of registered teams for the upcoming season.

For now, these are the 48 teams that have submitted all the essential documentation to apply for their registration in 2027, according to the official UCI statement published on October 19, 2026.

Men's WorldTour teams 2027 (16)

1. Alpecin-Premier Tech
2. Bahrain Victorious
3. Decathlon CMA CGM Team
4. EF Education-EasyPost
5. Groupama-FDJ United
6. Lidl-Trek
7. Lotto Intermarché
8. Movistar Team
9. Netcompany INEOS
10. NSN Cycling Team
11. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
12. Soudal-Safety Jogger
13. UAE Team Emirates XRG
14. Uno-X Mobility
15. XDS Astana Team
16. Yellow B. Cycling

Absent: Picnic PostNL and Jayco AlUla.

Men's ProTeam teams 2027 (12)

1. Bardiani CSF 7 Saber
2. Burgos-Burpellet-BH
3. Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
4. Cofidis
5. MBH Bank ProTeam
6. Modern Adventure Factor Racing
7. Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
8. Team HAYF Sports VisitMalta
9. Team Novo
10. Toscana Factory Team
11. Tudor Pro Cycling Team
12. Unibet Rose Rockets

Notable absentees: Euskaltel-Euskadi, Equipo Kern Pharma, TotalEnergies, and Flanders-Baloise.

Women's WorldTour teams 2027 (12)

1. AG Insurance-Soudal Team
2. Canyon//SRAM Scalable Capital
3. EF Education
4. FDJ United-Suez
5. Fenix-Premier Tech
6. Human Powered Health
7. Lidl-Trek
8. Movistar Team
9. Team SD Worx-Protime
10. UAE Team L'Imad
11. Uno-X Mobility
12. Yellow B. Cycling

Absent: Picnic PostNL and Liv AlUla Jayco.

Women's ProTeam teams 2027 (8)

1. Cofidis Women Team
2. Decathlon CMA CGM Team
3. Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi
4. Lotto Intermarché Ladies
5. Ma Petite Entreprise
6. Mayenne Monbana My Pie
7. St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93
8. VolkerWessels Cycling Team