I don’t quite get which teams get to race in which races.

For example, I’m sure I saw Wilier-Selle Italia in one of the first Classics this year but I haven’t seen them since. Then, in today’s Tour of Yorkshire, you’ve got big teams like BMC and SKY, but also Madison Genesis and Raleigh GAC.

So what gives? How does the system work that determines which teams get into the different levels of races?

I thought I understood, but I was clearly wrong.

It’s complicated! Ultimately apart from World Tour races (where world tour teams are obliged to race) it’s down to invites.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCI_race_classifications

Should also add there’s a fair amount of national bias in the invites too. You’ll see lots of Spanish based 2nd/3rd tier teams getting invites to Spanish races, Italian teams (Wilier) to Italian races in the same way a stack of British teams have invites to the Tour of Yorkshire. Doesn’t mean teams from other countries won’t get invites too though (Rompoot for example in Yorkshire).

Ah. That makes sense-ish.

So do you know why Team Wiggins didn’t get an invite to Yorkshire?

Because Brads become a bit like your awkward uncle.

Because they weren’t much cop when the fancy little envelopes were handed out.

Wiggo himself dropped out of the Tour De Yorkshire on the first stage last year. That probably didn’t go down too well. A good proportion of their riders are mainly track riders. And probably their best rider over the last two years has moved to Team Sky (Owain Doull).

They have a couple of their riders in the GB team.