Europcar has been refused a UCI WorldTour licence for the 2015 season after it was determined they did not meet the financial stability tests set by cycling's regulatory body. It has been known for some time that Europcar's sponsorship of the team was ceasing at the end of the 2014 season but it was expected that the team management would be able to find another high-profile French company to step into the car hire company's shoes.

UCI President Brian Cookson said he regretted that registration could not be completed: ""Regarding Team Europcar, it is of course regrettable that the team has not been able to secure sufficient financial guarantees to remain in the UCI WorldTour, but I very much hope that they can continue as a Professional Continental Team.

Founded in 2000, Europcar has been through a number of guises, including being called Brioches La Boulangère, Bonjour, Bouygues Télécom, and Bbox Bouygues Telecom. It has its origins in the System U team that was formed in 1984 and was known as Castorama in the early 1990s.

Whether the team chooses to drop down to the Continental tour level will be interesting to see as sponsors are less willing to splash out money on top riders because of their lesser exposure in smaller races. As a French team Europcar always had the advantage of being more or less guaranteed a place in the Tour de France as the organisers like to help out their domestic teams. Thomas Voeckler was by far the best known (and well paid) rider on the Europcar team.

The UCI also agreed to grant Astana a WorldTour licence but they must submit to stringent anti-doping investigations by the Institute of Sport Sciences of the University of Lausanne, an independent body, and agree to sign up to UCI's code on team behaviour. The UCI warned Astana that they were drinking in the last chance saloon on doping and that any new infringement that is found is likely to lead to them being kicked off the WorldTour.

Cookson said: "In the case of the Astana Pro Team, this remains a very serious situation for our sport given the number of doping cases. We shall be following the situation very closely and are awaiting to review the results of the audit. Meanwhile, the team will have to comply with the two requirements imposed by the Licence Commission. The combined effect of this is that the Astana Pro Team can be considered very much to be on probation."

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