List of 2014 UCI Professional Continental and Continental teams
UCI Continental teams (German: Continental teams) are international cycling teams on the road cycle race in the UCI Continental Circuits (UCI Africa Tour, UCI America Tour, UCI Asia Tour, UCI Europe Tour, UCI Oceania Tour ) - the continental racing series below the UCI World Tour - participate.
The Team Category UCI Continental Team was created in 2005 with the introduction of the UCI ProTour as a third category of registered by the International Cycling Union UCI Road Radmannsdorf machinations by the UCI ProTeam and the UCI Professional Continental teams and thus corresponds approximately to the previous category GS3 or TT3 ( Groupe Sportif 3 or Trade Team 3 ).
For the 2013 season were registered by the UCI Continental Tems 154.
Identity and name
A UCI Continental team consists of the representatives of the teams, the sponsors ( including up to two main partners ), the cyclists and the other dealing with the team ( manager, trainer, team physician, Soigneur, mechanics, etc.). Up to two sponsors have the status as the main partner.
The name of a UCI Continental Team is the name or the mark of one or both main partners. The team name thus changes with a change of sponsors and may also be wholly or partly be the name of another team.
Driver
The drivers of the UCI Continental teams are like the drivers of the next two higher team Categories bound by contract to the team, but not necessarily professional athletes, especially since there are no fixed by the UCI minimum. A contractual compensation - even on professional level - but must be agreed upon.
The minimum number of riders per UCI Continental Team is 8, the maximum number of 16 given the team can commit up to 4 other specialists from other cycling endurance disciplines, so the endurance competitions of the track cycling, mountain bike rides cross-country and cyclocross. These specialists must have been placed in the last season in the Top 150 of the respective UCI World Ranking.
At least half of the driver of a UCI Continental teams must be under 28 years.
In addition, may require up to three drivers as a UCI Continental Team trainee contract from August 1 of each year.
Licensing and Nationality
A UCI Continental team has the nationality of the majority of its drivers and must be licensed through the respective national cycling federation. Each national federation may license a maximum of 15 UCI Continental teams, monitors the UCI minimum requirements (especially driver contracts and bank guarantee ) and may make further requirements, the requirement of licensing. At the end of this process, the registration is done by the UCI.
Importance
The Team Category UCI Continental Team is primarily used for promotion of young and cycling outside of the core countries of road cycling. While deny UCI Continental Teams in part together with UCI ProTeam and Professional Continental Teams UCI race at lower levels, but they are not entitled to participate in Race of the UCI World Tour. As a result, international perceptions of these teams is rather limited.