Cycling launches Pro Tour

Cycling chiefs have launched a new Pro Tour that will replace the World Cup of one-day races and the International Cycling Union rankings next year.

The aim is to make the sport's best teams take part in more races.

The tour will produce an overall ranking and will force teams to enter 28 one-day and stage races for a total of at least 180 days.

"I'm bothered that we have more riders who specialise themselves," said cycling boss Hein Verbruggen.

The idea is for teams to be awarded licences based on several criteria which could be revoked in the event of misdemeanors, such as riders testing positive for drugs.

Although the sport's top 18 teams will have to field squads in each race, their top riders are not necessarily required to compete every time.

I believe that the direction we're going in is, overall, the right one Tour de France race director Jean-Marie Leblanc

"Forcing a rider to take part quickly leads to accusations that it fosters drug abuse," said Verbruggen, president of the International Cycling Union, the sport's governing body.

The redrawing of the calendar means that the current 10-race World Cup circuit, which the International Cycling Union put in place in 1989, will disappear.

The Pro Tour will also include all the major Tours of Italy, France and Spain and many of Europe's current top-ranked races such as the Paris-Nice.

Tour de France race director Jean-Marie Leblanc insisted the restructuring of cycling would help to promote the sport in the long run.

"I believe that the direction we're going in is, overall, the right one," said Leblanc.

"I can understand that some race organisers have been left out, and won't be happy - but that doesn't mean that those races will be condemned.

"The Pro Tour will help give cycling, and the races on it, a lot more publicity, which will have a financial snowball effect on sponsors.

"It means we can ask them for more money, more riders can be taken on and the organisers of races know they will be guaranteed the presence of good teams."