'It’s time to look to the future' - Pogacar’s agent urges UCI to act to preserve cycling at all levels

“The time has come to act, and it must be done quickly,” Carera wrote on Instagram. “Some sponsors are leaving in 2025, each for different reasons. What should we do? There is no single solution, but I have two ideas to generate interest in the ProTeams.”

Carera believes the ProTeams are the foundation of professional cycling. His proposal: create a dedicated calendar for this category and set a maximum number of 1.1 and 2.1 races that WorldTour teams can enter.

“We need to create a specific calendar for this category to ensure visibility for sponsors and establish a maximum number of 1.1 and 2.1 races in which WorldTour teams can participate,” he explained. “These changes will ensure more equitable victories, generate excitement and make the UCI team classification more accurate, as each team would participate in the same number of races throughout the year.”

Carera pointed out that successful ProTeams can evolve into WorldTour squads, as already shown by Alpecin-Deceuninck and Uno-X Mobility, while upcoming projects like Q36.5 Pro Cycling and Tudor Pro Cycling demonstrate the level of ambition and structure needed to follow that path. 

“Cycling is a unique sport, but it must look to the future,” he concluded. His words reflect a growing concern within the peloton that without reform, the balance between the sport’s top tier and its foundations may soon be lost.

Data on race participation supports his view. All WorldTour teams are required to start every event on the WorldTour calendar, which already sets a substantial base of race days. The differences come from what teams choose to add beyond that, entering smaller races to chase points, records or exposure.

In 2025, XDS Astana Team topped the list with 320 race days, the highest figure in ten years and part of a broader trend that saw WorldTour teams racing more than ever before. UAE Team Emirates-XRG (296) and Cofidis (289) came next.

For teams like Astana and Cofidis, the packed schedule was part of a battle to avoid relegation from the WorldTour, chasing every available point to secure their licence. Astana’s campaign ultimately paid off, while Cofidis fell short and will drop to ProTeam level in 2026.

UAE Team Emirates, by contrast, used its heavy race load to successfully target the 2009 Team Columbia-HTC record for most wins in a single season.

At the other end of the scale, Team Visma | Lease a Bike and EF Education–EasyPost 'only' recorded 244 and 245 race days, almost 25 percent fewer than Astana, reflecting a deliberate strategy of focus and recovery over quantity.

Taken together, it illustrates Carera’s point: with unrestricted access for WorldTour teams to race below the top tier, calendars swell for those chasing points or records, while the room for ProTeams to succeed narrows.