Jan 13th, 10. The BMC Racing Team today announced the UCI has granted them Wild Card Status for the 2010 season, clearing the way for them to start the Santos Tour Down Under.

BMC Team Racing, with superstars Cadel Evans and George Hincapie have confirmed their Wild Card Status for 2010 ©Sirotti

"This was critical to fulfilling our central goals, not only for 2010 but also into the future," said BMC Racing Team President Jim Ochowicz.

"It paves the way for an ambitious schedule of racing that will expose even more people to the BMC Racing Team and our outstanding line-up of sponsors." 

In 2009, the UCI created the World Calendar, which brought together UCI ProTour events and the "Historic Monuments of Cycling" races.  

A total of 28 events comprise the 2010 calendar, 17 on the ProTour and 11 in the Historic division.

The Santos Tour Down Under, starting this Sunday, is the first event on the 2010 UCI ProTour calendar.  BMC's participation in the race in Australia was contingent upon it receiving the Wild Card.

Director Sportif John Lelangue, who is on-site in Adelaide with the seven-member squad that will contest the race, said being able to showcase riders like current world road champion Cadel Evans and US road champion George Hincapie in the world's most prestigious races is a plus for both the team and cycling fans alike.

"We expect to be competitive in every race we enter, whether it's a one-day classic, a one-week stage race or a Grand Tour," Lelangue said.

"All the pieces are in place for this team to get the most out of its talent – be it in Europe, the United States or anywhere in the world."

Teams undergoing review for Wild Card status had to meet strict quality criteria in a number of areas:

• sporting (results, squad members)
• legal (respect of regulations)
• financial (rigorous management, accountability) 
• ethical (management and anti-doping initiatives)

The UCI has yet to issue a statement about other teams who have been granted 2010 Wild Card status.

As a Wild Card team, BMC will participate in the UCI's biological passports program by contributing to the funding of the project and providing whereabouts documentation for testing riders.