Jayco, Picnic Confirm WorldTour Plans for 2027 Despite Registration Hiccups

Jayco-AlUla and Picnic-PostNL say they are preparing for the 2027 WorldTour season despite missing the UCI’s first registration deadline, officials from both teams confirmed to Velo.

So far, it’s just paperwork, with a bank guarantee delay and an unresolved equipment partnership holding up their applications.

Both organizations explained their absence from the UCI’s initial registration lists published Monday. The omissions affect their men’s and women’s WorldTour programs.

Neither has been refused registration, because both have time to complete their files before the UCI publishes its final list December 8.

Jayco’s parent organization, GreenEDGE Cycling, said the delay impacting Jayco-AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco is due to an international banking procedure.

“We are aware that Team Jayco AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco’s names are absent from the recent UCI teams registration list,” a press note read.

“This is purely due to a technical transfer process that will be resolved very soon. Processing the bank guarantee required by the UCI involves cross-border financial operations that sometimes can encounter delays.”

GreenEDGE said preparations for next season continue for the Aussie-backed team that’s been in the peloton since 2012. Daniel Benson has reported a new title partner is coming online, but so far, there is no official confirmation.

“We can confirm that GreenEDGE Cycling’s planning and preparation for the 2027 season remains on track and we looking forward to racing our 16th season in the WorldTour,” officials said.

Picnic working to finalize technical partnership

Picnic-PostNL said its outstanding paperwork concerns a technical partnership following the bankruptcy of its current partner’s company.

The team recently made headlines following a report of a toxic team environment, something several staffers and riders denied.

The team did not identify the technical partner in its statement or give a date for completing the agreement.

“Our Men and Women’s programs are currently in the application process for WorldTour status in the coming year,” a statement read. “To this end, the team still needs to provide information relating to the finalization of a partnership with a technical partner for the coming season, following the bankruptcy of the current partner’s company. We will be doing this in the coming period.”

Despite a rough 2026 season, the statement confirms that Picnic-PostNL will be pursuing WorldTour status.

There were some suggestions from a source that told Velo that the team might step down to a ProTeam license in 2027, but the team’s statement Tuesday suggests it intends to remain at the WorldTour.

The explanations came after the UCI’s October 15 deadline for applicants to submit essential registration documents.

If both teams see their paperwork filed and in order, that will mean that 18 men’s and 14 women’s teams will race at the top-level WorldTour category in 2027.

Those licenses are important because it gives team automatic invitations to the team’s most important stage races and one-day classics, including the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes.

Factor steps up, Quick-Step steps aside

Missing the initial deadline does not prevent teams from securing registration, although it can carry consequences for rider contracts.

“In accordance with the UCI Regulations and subject to other applicable provisions, riders from these teams may terminate their contracts early, but this right will lapse if their team is subsequently registered,” the UCI stated.

Ben O’Connor is leaving Jayco-AlUla for Decathlon CMA-CGM in a move confirmed Tuesday, but that deal was signed months ago and was a result of the team’s filing delay, sources said.

There are another few tidbits in the team registry.

Modern Adventure Factor Racing appears among the men’s ProTeam applicants, confirming earlier reports that Factor would be joining the George Hincapie project for 2027 and beyond as a co-sponsor.

Soudal also loses Quick-Step as a co-title sponsor and will be called Soudal-Safety Jogger for 2027, making an end of an era for the Belgian flooring company.

Quick-Step was either title or co-sponsor of the team since its founding in 2003, and co-sponsor of Mapei from 1999 to 2002. The company will remain a partner backer of the team.