Jayco AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco narrowly escaped disaster last week. After both teams were left off the provisional list of full WorldTour license applicants for 2026 due to missing a bank guarantee, significant unrest arose over financial issues. However, last Thursday all concerns were resolved by team manager Brent Copeland.
On Friday, riders and staff received the reassuring news that the Australian team would meet the UCI’s second deadline (Monday, November 3) and that the bank guarantees were in place. Rumors that the team might even cease to exist were definitively put to rest. "Although we were really close to the end of our team," team manager Brent Copeland shared in an interview with British journalist Daniel Benson.
"It was really a matter of a few days. I think the UCI has been very supportive because they didn’t want us to fold. But it was really that close. A few days more and everything would have been over," emphasizes the South African once again. "As management, we are extremely grateful for the trust of our riders and staff during these difficult weeks. They maintained faith in the process."
UCI rules stipulate that if a team is missing from the provisional list of fully submitted license applications, riders and staff are free to negotiate with other teams. "Legally, everyone was allowed to look for another team," Copeland confirms. "Despite that, they all decided to stay with us. That shows how much this team means to everyone. Meanwhile, I have reached an agreement on the budget and bank guarantee with Giant, AlUla, and Gerry Ryan."
This means the team is financially secure at least through the upcoming WorldTour cycle until the end of 2028. "All three sponsorship contracts now run through the end of 2028. The length of the agreements wasn’t even the problem; it was ensuring all signatures were in place before the deadline and that the bank guarantee was secured. That took longer than expected, beyond the first deadline of October 15. We are very grateful for the support and help from all three parties."
Three spots still open
Now that the financial worries are over, Copeland can move forward with shaping his men’s roster. "Currently, we have 26 riders under contract. That means four spots are still open, but we will likely stick with 29 riders. I won’t say we’re going to copy XDS Astana’s tactic from this year. But if you look at who we’ve signed and which riders we wanted, these are guys who can support Michael Matthews and also score UCI points themselves in many races."
