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the organizers of the world's most prominent bicycle races, and in 2009 and 2010 the ranking element of the ProTour was superseded by the UCI World Ranking.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.
Elk Haus was a professional continental cycling team based in Austria and participates in UCI Europe Tour and when selected as a wildcard to UCI ProTour events. The team is managed by Alexander Albrecht, Bernhard Rassinger, Josef Regec and Wolfgang Wesely.
Bardiani–CSF is a professional continental cycling team registered in Italy that participates in UCI Continental Circuits races and when selected as a wildcard to UCI ProTour events. The team is managed by Bruno Reverberi with assistance from directeurs sportifs Fabiano Fontanelli and Roberto Reverberi. Reverberi has managed the team since 1982, when it started as Termolan. Navigare was an on-and-off title-sponsor since 1990, when the team was called Italbonifica-Navigare. The current main sponsor, Bardiani Valvole, became associated with the team in 2013, prior to which CSF Group (2008–12) and Ceramica Panaria (2000–2007) were main sponsors.
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 2014 UCI World Tour was the sixth edition of the ranking system launched by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) in 2009. The series started with the opening stage of the Tour Down Under on 21 January, and concluded with the final stage of the Tour of Beijing on 14 October.
The 2015 UCI World Tour was the seventh edition of the ranking system launched by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) in 2009. The series started with the opening stage of the Tour Down Under on 20 January, and concluded with Il Lombardia on 4 October.
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.
