Relief as Jayco submit paperwork to continue in WorldTour in 2026
Jayco-Alula and Liv-Alula-Jayco look set to remain in operation next season after the GreenEdge set-up submitted the missing documents for their licence applications. The team had missed the initial October 15 deadline.
The Jayco-Alula and Liv-Alula-Jayco teams will continue in 2026 after they submitted the outstandings documents needed to apply for their respective WorldTour licences.
Both teams were absent from the list of applicants for the WorldTour and Women’s WorldTour licences published by the UCI last week, with the governing body explaining that they had until the end of the month to submit the full paperwork, having missed the initial October 15 deadline.
Daniel Benson reported that riders and staff were informed in a Zoom call on Thursday afternoon that the men’s and women’s teams would go ahead “as planned” for 2026.
A spokesperson for Jayco-Alula later confirmed the news in a statement to Domestique: “We are pleased to confirm that the paperwork issues have been resolved and the relevant documents have been submitted to the UCI. We look forward to a prosperous 2026 season.”
According to a report by Escape Collective, the missing element in the applications for WorldTour and Women’s WorldTour licences was the bank guarantee, which must cover 25% of the annual budget plus an additional 15,000 CHF.
Per UCI rules, riders from the team were technically free to break their contracts and seek employment elsewhere during the delay in submitting the full paperwork. Domestique understands that no riders decided to take up that option.
Jayco-Alula already fulfilled the sporting criteria for a place in the WorldTour by virtue of their position in the promotion-relegation rankings, which has secured them a place in the top flight for the three-year cycle that begins in 2026.
The men's team scored 19 wins in 2025, with Ben O’Connor’s Tour de France stage victory the highlight. O’Connor and Michael Matthews remain with the team in 2026, but they have lost a number of riders, including Eddie Dunbar, Chris Harper and Dylan Groenewegen.
Liv-Alula-Jayco claimed five wins in 2025, including Mavi García’s triumph on stage 2 of the Tour de France Femmes. The Spaniard will race for UAE Team ADQ in 2026.
The UCI’s Licence Commission will now scrutinise the documentation from all WorldTour and Women’s WorldTour applicants before announcing the final list of teams on December 10.
Some 20 teams have sought WorldTour spots in 2026, though Cofidis and Q36.5 applied without meeting the sporting criteria and their applications are dependent on higher-ranked teams failing to fulfil financial, ethical or administrative criteria.
With a merger between Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty imminent, Uno-X Mobility look set to achieve promotion to the WorldTour thanks to their performances over the past three-year cycle.
16 teams applied for the 15 available Women’s WorldTour places, with EF Education-Oatly set to join the top flight in place of Roland.
