Alpecin Phoenix, with Mathieu Van der Pol, has earned the number one spot in this season's ProTeam rankings and an automatic invitation to the World Tour.

Alpecin Phoenix has been a strong contender this season, with Van der Pol winning the Tour de Flanders (beating Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) in a nail-biting sprint win) and the Tirreno-Adriatico and Binkbank Tour stages. contributed greatly to his 12th place overall in the world ranking.

Arkea-Samsic will be invited to all one-day races as the second place professional team. The Licensing Committee also registered 19 professional teams, including new entrants Eolo-Kometa and Kern Pharma.

The UCI confirmed 19 teams to compete in the 2021 World Tour, with Qhubeka Assos retaining its place after losing title sponsor NTT, and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux replacing the now defunct CCC team joined the team.

After a shortened season in COVID-19, in which many teams faced budget shortfalls and pay cuts, the UCI thanked all stakeholders in cycling for their "concerted efforts" to "keep pro cycling at the highest level despite difficult circumstances."

The future of NTT Pro Cycling was in doubt until November, when Asos stepped in to support the South African team.

This uncertainty meant the loss of many key riders, with 19 riders leaving the team, including Michael Valgren, Edvald Boasson Hagen, and Ben O'Connor.

Team principal Doug Ryder acquired 17 riders in the late transfer market, giving a lifeline to Fabio Al, who had struggled for several years with UAE Team Emirates, Sergio Henao moved from the same team, Robert Power from Sunweb, EF Simon Clark is a new addition from Pro Cycling.

The team kept Italian and European champions Giacomo Nizzolo and Domenico Pozzovivo, with only Nick Dlamini and Reinard Janse van Rensburg remaining as Africans.

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, which had been racing as Circus-Wanty-Gobert this season, acquired Louis Meintjes from NTT, Jan Hirt and Jonas Koch from the CCC team, Rein Taaramäe (Total Direct Energie), Lorenzo Rota (Vini Zabù-KTM), and Baptiste Planckaert (Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles) for the World Tour They were added for the first season.

Won't You Cycling announced in September that it would acquire Continuum Sports, the parent company of the CCC team.

The CCC team was one of several teams forced to take pay cuts for riders and staff during the March-July race suspension, and the UCI expressed relief that all world team and pro team registrations for 2021 would be available.

"The UCI welcomes these figures, which prove that despite the difficult circumstances, especially the economic situation, teams and riders worked together during this period to keep professional cycling at the highest level...The UCI thanks all stakeholders involved," the press The UCI thanks all stakeholders involved," the press release stated.

The oddly phrased press release lists 11 teams as having passed the full UCI regulation review, including Astana, Bahrain Victorious, Green Edge, Intermarke Wantigover, Israel Startup Nation, Team DSM, EF Education Nippo, and Koubeka Assos. Eight teams were registered by the Licensing Committee "after hearing teams that the UCI could not register directly."

Three professional teams, B&B Hotels, Delko, and Arkéa-Samsic, were also registered by the Licensing Committee, while all other existing teams and new entrants Eolo-Kometa and Kern Pharma passed a full review. The only missing team was Rewal Cycling, which fell to the continental level.