Race for 2025 Women’s WorldTour wildcards heats up in final month of the 2024 season

As the 2024 cycling season reaches its conclusion, the fight for the coveted Women’s WorldTour wildcards for 2025 is heating up. With only two wildcards available and the UCI confirming that only ProTeams will be eligible next season, the competition among top teams is fierce. Nine teams have already applied for ProTeam status, and with the final rankings just weeks away, EF-Oatly-Cannondale appears to have one of the two wildcards firmly in hand.

Thanks to the strong performances of key riders like Olympic road race winner Kristen Faulkner, who leads with 1,282.86 points, and teammates Noemi Rüegg (944 points), Kim Cadzow (724.86 points), and Letizia Borghesi (593 points), EF-Oatly-Cannondale currently tops the ProTeam rankings. With a total of 4,460.3 points, they look set to join the Women’s WorldTour in 2026 when the next licences are awarded. They won’t be overtaken in the wildcard hunt for 2025 and can be considered as the winners of the first available wildcard.

Updated 2025 ProTeams rankings (24th September 2024):

Whilst we don’t know for sure yet, some teams have announced they applied for ProTeam status, whereas others are assumed to be. 9 teams have been confirmed as applying, with potentially a French team like Komugi-Grand Est or Winspace applying for the 9th spot but they are out of the running of a wildcard.

While EF-Oatly-Cannondale seems secure, the second wildcard remains a tightly contested battle between VolkerWessels, Laboral Kutxa Fundacion Euskadi, and Cofidis. With just 441.5 points separating VolkerWessels from Laboral Kutxa and a wider gap of 818.5 points to Cofidis, it’s all to play for in the final races of the season.

VolkerWessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team

VolkerWessels currently holds 16th place in the UCI rankings with 3,203.5 points, keeping them in a strong position to secure the second available Women’s WorldTour wildcard. Much of the team’s success can be attributed to European U23 road race winner Sofie van Rooijen, who leads the charge with 1,051.5 points. Her teammate Scarlett Souren has added 776.5 points to the tally, while Belgian rider Margot Vanpachtenbeke has contributed 508 points. Eline Jansen has also made a notable impact with 449 points.

Other team members, including Anneke Dijkstra (137.5 points), Femke Beuling (112 points), Marith Vanhove (88 points), and Sabrina Stultiens (81 points), have played essential roles in keeping VolkerWessels within striking distance of securing a wildcard for the 2025 season. Their consistent performances have been pivotal in maintaining the team’s second-place ranking among ProTeams.

Laboral Kutxa Fundacion Euskadi

Laboral Kutxa Fundacion Euskadi sits in 18th place with 2,762 points and is closing in on VolkerWessels. The team’s points have come largely from the Spanish Champion Usoa Ostolaza, who has contributed 589 points, and Iurani Blanco Calbet, who has scored 544 points. Veteran Ane Santesteban Gonzalez added 418 points to the total, while Catalina Soto Campos and Nadia Quagliotto have chipped in with 396 points and 309 points, respectively.

With these solid performers, Laboral Kutxa remains within striking distance of the second wildcard. They will be looking to rack up as many points as possible in the remaining races to overtake VolkerWessels.

Cofidis

Cofidis, currently ranked 19th with 2,385 points, also remains in contention. Victoire Berteau leads the team with 865 points, followed by Julie Bego with 352 points and Hannah Ludwig with 341 points. Sarah Roy, who is nearing the end of her career, has provided 277 points, while Nikola Nosková added another 240 points. Despite their efforts, Cofidis will need some standout performances in the final stretch of the season to make up the 820.5-point deficit.

The deciding races

For VolkerWessels, Laboral Kutxa Fundacion Euskadi, and Cofidis, the final month of the season will be critical, with several important races offering the last chance to accumulate points. Every result could determine who secures that all-important second wildcard. However, it’s worth noting that Laboral Kutxa Fundacion Euskadi won’t be travelling to the Chinese races, making their ability to score points more challenging than their rivals. Here is the upcoming race programme for each of the teams:

With VolkerWessels and Cofidis both opting to compete in the Tour of Chongming Island and the Tour of Guangxi, they have more opportunities to collect valuable UCI points. Laboral Kutxa Fundacion Euskadi, on the other hand, will not be travelling to these Chinese races, which could limit their chances of overtaking VolkerWessels in the rankings. These final events could ultimately decide who earns the remaining 2025 Women’s WorldTour wildcard.