The Tour de France is the crown jewel of cycling’s Grand Tours. It pits riders against some of the most difficult terrain on the planet, offering only a couple of days spread throughout the race for riders to rest their utterly exhausted bodies.
Even achieving the honor of riding on a 2023 Tour de France team is a lifelong dream for many cyclists, and only those at the top of the sport — and in the right place at the right time — get the opportunity.
The field of nearly 200 racers is composed of 22 teams that gain entry into the race either by right as a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) WorldTeams-licensed team, by qualification through the UCI ProTeam season, or through a special invitation from the organizers of the race, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO).
No individual cyclists can enter the race, and even if they did, they’d have no chance of winning or even doing well. With that in mind, it’s important for world-class riders who hope to compete in the 2023 Tour de France to have earned a spot on a team that has a good chance to participate.
Here is a rundown of how teams qualify for the 2023 Tour de France.
UCI WorldTeams
The most clearcut way to ensure a spot in the Tour de France is to rank among the 18 current UCI WorldTeams. The vast majority of teams in the Tour de France and other UCI WorldTour events come from this category.
For 2023, those teams include:
- AG2R Citroën Team (FRA)
- Alpecin Deceuninck (BEL)
- Astana Qazaqstan Team (KAZ)
- Bora-Hansgrohe (GER)
- EF Education-Easypost (USA)
- Groupama-FDJ (FRA)
- Ineos Grenadiers (GBR)
- Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (BEL)
- Jumbo-Visma (NED)
- Movistar Team (ESP)
- Soudal Quick-Step (BEL)
- Team Arkea-Samsic (FRA)
- Team Bahrain Victorious (BRN)
- Team Cofidis (FRA)
- Team DSM (NED)
- Team Jayco AlUla (AUS)
- Trek-Segafredo (USA)
- UAE Team Emirates (UAE)
These teams represent the cream of the crop in global cycling; they all feature superstars, national champions in various disciplines, and a host of extremely strong riders who can work together to help their teammates win the race.
UCI rules only allow 18 teams to compete in the WorldTeams category, which is the highest category in professional cycling. Teams earn a spot in the WorldTeams field by collecting points in pro races throughout 3 years of racing.
Different types of races come with different point values, and the top 10 riders for each team, and the top eight for women’s teams, have the opportunity to compete in races to bolster overall team stats to get more points. At the end of the years-long cycle of racing, the UCI tallies points and awards WorldTeams licenses for those at the top.
The teams listed above earned their spots in the WorldTeams category in December 2022, so they can rest somewhat easy knowing they all have an assured spot in the Tour de France through 2025.
The Tour de France Femmes uses the same format for its selection. All 15 of the women’s WorldTeams groups are automatically in the race.
The 2023 selection includes:
- Canyon / / SRAM Racing (GER)
- EF Education-Tibco-SVB (USA)
- FDJ-Suez (FRA)
- Fenix Deceuninck (BEL)
- Human Powered Health (USA)
- Israel Premier Tech Roland (SUI)
- Liv Racing Teqfind (NED)
- Movistar Team Women (ESP)
- Team DSM (NED)
- Team Jayco Alula (AUS)
- Jumbo-Visma (NED)
- Team SD Worx (NED)
- Trek-Segafredo (USA)
- UAE Team ADQ (UAE)
- Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (NOR)
For those who do not make the cut, all is not lost.
UCI ProTeams in the Tour de France
The second-highest category in cycling is the ProTeams category. As a complement to the 18 WorldTeams in the 2023 Tour de France, the race also offers spots to four ProTeams.
Those teams include:
- Lotto Dstny (BEL)
- TotalEnergies (FRA)
- Israel-Premier Tech (ISR)
- Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (NOR)
The pathway for these teams to earn a spot in the 2023 Tour de France is not as clear cut. Lotto Dstny earned a spot in all WorldTour races, including the Tour de France, by finishing the latest season with the highest number of points among the ProTeams field, as did TotalEnergies.
Israel-Premier Tech and Uno-X Pro Cycling Team received invitations to compete from race organizer Amaury Sport Organization.
The 2023 Tour de France Femmes offers a few more spots for teams on the bubble.
The two top teams in the UCI Continental ranking in 2022 qualified for the race by right. These include:
- Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team (BEL)
- Lifeplus Wahoo (GBR)
Five additional teams earned invitations from the race organizers, including:
- AG Insurance – Soudal Quick-Step Team (BEL)
- Arkéa-Samsic Pro Cycling Team (FRA)
- Cofidis Women’s Team (FRA)
- St Michel Mavic-Auber93 (FRA)
- Team Coop-Hitec Products (NOR)
For these organizations, being a 2023 Tour de France team offers one of the biggest chances to rack up points that could lead to them promoting back into the WorldTeams category.
This year’s race takes on a particular bit of importance on the women’s side, as these teams will undergo the same selection process that solidified WorldTeams licenses for the men in 2022. For many teams, a strong performance in 2023 could mean the difference between remaining in the WorldTeams category or relegation.
Because only WorldTeam and ProTeam licensees are allowed to compete in World Tour Races, ending up in one of these places is the only way into the 2023 Tour de France. Everyone else will have to settle for spectating, which may be a lot more fun anyway.
