UCI ProTour facts for kids
The UCI ProTour was a big series of bicycle road races. It was organized by the world's main cycling group, the UCI. Think of it as the top league for professional cycling teams.
What is the UCI ProTour?
The UCI ProTour was the highest level of racing for professional cyclists. Only the top 20 cycling teams in the world could compete in these events. It included different types of bike races. Some were one-day races, where cyclists competed for a single day. Others were time trials, where riders raced against the clock alone. There were also "stage races," which lasted several days and had different sections or "stages."
The ProTour started in 2005. It took the place of an older world championship series. The new ProTour was special because it included those longer stage races, which the old series did not.
All of the ProTour races were held in Europe. However, the teams that competed came from both Europe and the United States. At the time, it was quite hard for teams from smaller leagues, called Continental circuits, to join the ProTour. But there was a hope that in the future, teams from places like Africa, Australia, or Asia could also take part in these top-level races.
Top Teams in the UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour featured the best cycling teams from around the world. These teams had the top riders and competed in all the major races. Here is a list of some of the teams that were part of the UCI ProTour:
| Code | Official Team Name | Country | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGR | AG2R Prévoyance |  France |
ag2r-cyclisme.com |
| AST | Astana Team |  Switzerland |
team-astana.eu |
| BTL | Bouygues Télécom | France |
equipebouyguestelecom.fr |
| GCE | Caisse d'Epargne |  Spain |
cyclisme-caisse-epargne.fr |
| COF | Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone | France |
equipe-cofidis.com |
| C.A | Crédit Agricole | France |
credit-agricole.fr |
| CSC | Team CSC |  Denmark |
team-csc.com |
| DSC | Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team |  United States |
team.discovery.com |
| EUS | Euskaltel-Euskadi | Spain |
fundacioneuskadi.com |
| FDJ | Française des Jeux | France |
fdjeux.com |
| GST | Gerolsteiner |  Germany |
gerolsteiner.de |
| LAM | Lampre-Fondital |  Italy |
lampre-fondital.com |
| LIQ | Liquigas | Italy |
teamliquigas.it |
| MRM | Team Milram | Italy |
team-milram.de |
| PRL | Predictor-Lotto |  Belgium |
davitamon-lotto.com |
| QSI | Quick Step-Innergetic | Belgium |
qsi-cycling.com |
| RAB | Rabobank |  Netherlands |
rabobank.nl |
| SDV | Saunier Duval-Prodir | Spain |
saunierduvalteam.com |
| TMO | T-Mobile Team | Germany |
t-mobile-team.com |
| UNI | Unibet.com Cycling Team |  Sweden |
unibetcycling.com |
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UCI ProTour
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See also
In Spanish: UCI ProTour para niños
