The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI. Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series. It was initially the basis of a season long competition for rankings points, created for 2005 to replace the UCI Road World Cup series, which ended at the end of the 2004 season. The ProTour was the subject of continuing disputes involving the UCI, cycling teams, and the organizers of the world's most prominent bicycle races, and in 2009 and 2010 the ranking element of the ProTour was superseded by the UCI World Ranking. For 2011, the ProTour and World Ranking were fully merged into the UCI World Tour. ProTour status for teams – relabelled UCI ProTeams – will continue as the highest level of registration, and will carry the right and obligation to participate in all World Tour races.
The UCI Continental Circuits are continental circuits for a series of road bicycle racing competitions since 2005. The five circuits are a tier below the UCI World Tour. Both the World Tour and the Continental Circuits comprise a series of races in which various cycling teams compete regularly. It was introduced by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to provide an adequate and realistic context in order to encourage the expansion of cycling, everywhere in the world.
Gustav Erik Larsson is a Swedish professional road racing cyclist for UCI Continental team Cult Energy Pro Cycling. He previously rode for UCI Professional Continental team IAM Cycling in 2013-14 and Vacansoleil–DCM in 2012. He is a very skilled time trialist; he has won his national title seven times, and has taken silver medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the 2009 World Championships in Mendrisio.
Team Vorarlberg Santic is a cycling team based in Austria. The team was founded in 1999 by the twin brothers Thomas and Johannes Kofler and previously known as Team Volksbank. In 2009, the Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg replaced Volksbank as title sponsor. In 2006 it became the first ever Austrian professional cycling team and was registered as a UCI Professional Continental team until June 2010, when their UCI license was suspended due to financial insecurity. The team was later re-registered as a UCI Continental team, and retained that status in 2011.
Euskadi is a Spanish cycling team based in Basque Country that existed from 2005 to 2014. It was one of the European teams in UCI Continental Tour.
The UCI World Tour is the premier men's elite road cycling tour, sitting above the various regional UCI Continental Circuits. It refers to both the tour of 38 events and, until 2019, an annual ranking system based upon performances in these. The World Ranking was launched in 2009, and merged fully with its predecessor the UCI ProTour in 2011. UCI WorldTeams must compete at all events that were part of the tour prior to the 2017 expansion.
The Tour of the Gila is a cycling stage race for both men and women located in New Mexico, United States. It is sponsored by the component maker SRAM. The "Gila" began in 1987. Beginning in 2012, the men's Gila has been added to the UCI America Tour as a UCI classification 2.2 stage race, which permits UCI ProTeams to enter if they so choose; beginning in 2015, the women's Gila has also been added to the women's UCI international tour as a UCI classification 2.2 stage race.
Christina Watches–Dana was a Danish professional cycling team based in Herning that competed on the UCI Continental Circuits. The captain of the team was Michael Rasmussen, who won the climbers jersey at the 2005 and 2006 Tour de France, until he ended his career in early 2013.
Alexander Mironov is a Russian professional road bicycle racer, who last rode for UCI Professional Continental Team RusVelo. He is the 2005 under-23 national road race champion and the winner of 2010 Trofeo Franco Balestra. He turned professional in 2011, riding for the UCI ProTour team Team Katusha, but moved to RusVelo for the 2012 season.
Colombia are a Colombian UCI Professional Continental cycling team based in Adro (Italy) that participates in UCI Continental Circuits and UCI World Tour races.
The 2012 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad took place on 25 February 2012. It was the 67th edition of the international classic Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. This year's Omloop started and ended at St. Peter's Square in Ghent, Belgium and spanned 200 km (124.3 mi) in the province of East Flanders. The race was the first 1.HC event in the 2012 UCI Europe Tour.
Arapahoe Resources–BMC is an American cycling team focusing on road bicycle racing. The team was developed by former professional racing cyclist George Hincapie. The team is managed by Rich Hincapie with assistance from directeur sportif Thomas Craven. The team was founded as a junior development team known as Hincapie–Holowesko Partners. It joined the UCI Continental Tour in partnership with UCI ProTour team BMC Racing Team in 2012. Riders who have gone on to compete for UCI WorldTeams and Professional Continental teams include Tanner Putt, Tyler Magner, Joey Rosskopf and Dion Smith.
A UCI WorldTeam (2015–present), previously UCI ProTeam (2005–2014), is the term used by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to name a cycling team of the highest category in professional road cycling, the UCI World Tour or UCI ProTour, respectively. UCI WorldTeams must compete at all rounds of the tour.
The UCI 1.HC and UCI 2.HC are the second tier classification of road cycling races by the UCI, after the UCI World Tour. The races are part of the various UCI Continental Circuits. The 1.HC events are one-day races, whereas the 2.HC events are stage races. 'HC' stands for the French phrase hors catégorie, which means beyond categorization. In 2020, the .HC races will be replaced by the UCI ProSeries
