Until recently, it wasn’t widely understood that victories by riders translate into points for their teams. A sudden surge of activity followed, with many squads chasing points in less prestigious races while skipping marquee events like the Vuelta a España. The same pattern emerged at the Tour de France, where teams sought to accumulate points in lesser tests, effectively testing the utility of the UCI World Tour’s scoring system. This year’s standings show how the second-placed team in the World Tour, a reflection of the two underperforming squads in the top tier, can suffer significant blows when they miss invitations to the sport’s biggest events in 2023, including the Tour, Vuelta, and Giro d’Italia.
Just as with Movistar, squads that prioritized the three Grand Tours over the rest of the season are now feeling the consequences when results lag behind expectations. For example, Alex Aranburu carried much of the responsibility for his team, winning in a major French race and contributing in the Volta, yet the Vuelta remained inaccessible. This left the Spanish outfit with a heavy tally of 125 points and a sense of urgency to climb back. The teams that fled from the main field during the descent—Lotto and Israel, among others—now face relegation pressure. Groups like Cofidis, EF, Movistar, and Lotto find themselves fighting to stay out of the relegation zone, losing not only prestige but also invitations to high-profile campaigns and to consistently important races such as Paris-Nice, the Volta, Paris-Roubaix, and the Tour of Flanders.
Valverde’s complaint
“The push for points is fragmenting the sport at the highest level,” he remarked this Thursday. The veteran rider, who has long trusted his team could avoid the drop, pointed to a distribution of points that looks more like a deviation from the intended balance. For instance, a victory at the Andratx Grand Prix (125 points) can surpass a single stage win at a major stage race (120 points).
Even if the Vuelta’s final weekend includes two Canadian races, those wins earn the same amount of points as a Paris victory. It may feel nonsensical, but the system has been in place since 2016, and teams are only now voicing concerns about its potential danger.
Take Enric Mas as a case in point: his misfortunes this season contributed to Movistar losing roughly 750 points. A breakup during a Vuelta might trigger a counterattack from teams in pursuit, potentially sealing a rider’s escape while denying the broader team’s chance at overall classification.