The Tour de France will exceptionally go from 22 to 23 teams of eight riders next June, a measure of solidarity in a difficult context for those involved in cycling.
Usually, the Grand Tours welcome 22 teams at the start, two of which benefit from an invitation from the organizers, the other 20 being automatically qualified thanks to their WorldTour status (first division in the world) or their results.
This exception granted Thursday by the international federation to the three major national tours (France, Italy, Spain) benefits three French teams from the second division applying for an invitation to the Grande Boucle: two Bretons (Arkea-Samsic and BB Hotels), one from Vendée (Total Direct Energie).
The start of the Tour de France 2021 will therefore be given on June 26 in Brest with a peloton of 184 riders, 8 more than in previous editions.
With 6 French teams, the same as last summer.
The exemption, decided on Thursday by the management committee of the International Cycling Union (UCI), was the subject of a request from the French National League and its Spanish and Italian counterparts, relayed by the national federations of the three countries.
"I said that we would not ask for a derogation because we have fought for a long time so that there are fewer riders at the start out of a priority concern for safety", told AFP the director of the Tour Christian Prudhomme.
"But everyone is weakened by the crisis, the teams too," he explained, stressing the importance of the second division, dependent on invitations: "We are very sensitive to the fact that the local champions, the champions of the towns and villages crossed by the race are protected. ”
Return to rule in 2022
The decision relieves the three French teams competing to be present at the start of the 2021 Grande Boucle in Brest.
In particular the formation of Jérôme Pineau (BB Hotels), who will play at home for the Breton start of this Tour, but also the team of Jean-René Bernaudeau (Total DE), often successful for twenty years but transparent during the last two editions.
"The rule of 22 teams will become the rule again in 2022", however warned Christian Prudhomme who recalled the sporting logic: "The first team of the second division (over the entire season) is qualified the following year.
This title must be earned and we have always defended this system. "
Last year, Bernaudeau's formation had benefited from this automatic qualification, which had resulted in the presence in the peloton of six French teams, a record since 2008. But, in 2021, the place was taken by the Alpecin formation of the Dutch Mathieu van der Poel, one of the current stars who has never yet taken part in the event marked by his grandfather Raymond Poulidor.
The move to 23 teams avoids ASO, the organizing company of the Tour, an inevitably difficult choice.
“In advance, I knew that whatever the choice, there would be discussion.
He would have been Cornelian, everyone has their good arguments ”, admitted the director of the Tour.
"With the two Breton teams and the Vendée team, this allows the party to be 100% complete".
“I would like to thank ASO for their renewed confidence in our structure.
We were waiting for a decision of this type, the fact that it is now effective obviously fills us with happiness.
What a joy indeed to know from today that we will participate in the Tour de France 2021, with this great start at home in Brest, and three days to follow on our Breton roads.
The decision to invite 23 teams to the 3 Grand Tours in 2021 also demonstrates the great solidarity that exists between all the families of our sport: teams, organizers and bodies.
In the end, it is cycling, once again, which emerges from it growing and winning, ”said Emmanuel Hubert, manager of the Arkéa-Samsic team.
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The 2021 Tour de France route
