The Vuelta a España has received permission from the UCI to invite additional wildcard teams in 2022, and Spanish pro teams Euskaltel Euskadi, Expo Cologne Farma and Burgos-BH will compete in this year's race.

Alpecin Phoenix and Arkea-Samsic have already received automatic invitations as the highest ranked pro teams in the 2021 UCI ranking, so there will be a total of 23 teams at the start of the Vuelta in Utrecht on August 19.

The exemption from the UCI allowed the Vuelta organization to invite three of the four Spanish pro teams. Caja Rural has been competing in the Vuelta since 2012, but will be replaced by Khan Farma, which will be making its debut.

The Vuelta organization acknowledged in a statement on Monday that the 2023 race will not have more than 22 teams.

"This exemption applies only to 2022 and under no circumstances can this request be made in 2023.

The number of wildcards at the discretion of race organizers has decreased in recent years, with the top two teams in the UCI ranking getting automatic entry to the following season's Grand Tours.

As in 2021, Alpecin Phoenix received invitations to all three Grand Tours this season. Arkea Samsic did not enter the Giro d'Italia, a decision that allowed RCS Sport to distribute three wild cards at its discretion. As expected, the Giro organizers invited three Italian professional teams, Bardiani-CSF-Faizane, Eolo-Cometa, and Dronehopper-Androni Giocattoli.

France's Team TotalEnergies and B&B Hotels-KTM earned the remaining two wildcard slots for the Tour de France.

The 2022 Vuelta will run from August 19 to September 11 and, like this year's Giro and Tour, will start on a Friday with an additional rest day due to the start on foreign roads.

Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) and Remco Evenpole (Quick Step-Alfa Vinyl) have already announced their participation, and Primoš Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) could also be in the running for a fourth consecutive overall win.