18/12/2015
The *O are withdrawing from the International Cycling Union's elite calendar in 2017
A*O ( who own, the , the , , the top-tier classics Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the one-week Paris-Nice ) said in a statement,
"The recently adopted, from season 2017, a Reform of the World Tour calendar characterised by a closed sport system.
Which means A*O organisers cannot select more than 70 per cent of World Tour teams in a 'Hors Class' race, or 15 teams in the usual 22-team lineup for the Tour de France, the most prestigious cycling race in the sport.
Concluding that, World Tour teams will be omitted from the 2017 Tour lineup as the elite usually features 18 teams.
Tour de France organisers A*O (Amaury Sport Organisation) are withdrawing from the International Cycling Union's elite calendar in 2017 because of a disagreement over the reform of the calendar and the selection of teams, they said on Friday.