Jayco AlUla was missing last week from the UCI-published list of teams that have applied for a WorldTour license. Rumors were already circulating that the Australian team might even fold, but it haven’t come to that yet. This weekend marks the next deadline for the team. The dealbreaker: owner Gerry Ryan has yet to provide a bank guarantee.
Stories within the peloton have been swirling for a while: general manager Brent Copeland reportedly hasn’t managed to steer the team properly. The cycling world was shocked last May when Matthew White had to leave the team suddenly. The sporting director was one of the founders of the team. “His leadership and tactical vision formed the backbone of GreenEDGE’s results and team culture,” the team wrote at the time. Officially, his departure was due to a restructuring of the performance cell; unofficially, insiders say Copeland had to “clear his own slate.”
Last season, Jayco AlUla’s men finished sixteenth in the UCI Team Ranking, while the women’s team Liv AlUla Jayco recorded the second-fewest wins in a season. The talent factory Hagens Berman Jayco – led by Axel Merckx and Koos Moerenhout – also currently lacks a strong roster of top talents, unlike in the past when it was an independent outfit. Things aren’t going well for the Aussies, and last week’s news that both the men’s and women’s squads have yet to submit license applications for 2026 and beyond only added to the uncertainty.
Gerry Ryan (left) and Brent Copeland - photo: fotopersburo Cor Vos
No bank guarantee yet, but no worries either
“There are some bureaucratic issues that we are currently working extremely hard to resolve before the next deadline,” Copeland told Escape Collective when asked. The South African team manager did not elaborate on the exact details, but the Australian outlet found out that team owner Gerry Ryan has not yet provided a bank guarantee. Such a bank guarantee is necessary in case a team has to fold, so that riders and staff will still receive their salaries. The bank guarantee amounts to 25% of the total payroll. According to Escape, this is between three and four million euros.
Their sources say, however, that they are not worried about the bank guarantee due to Ryan’s passion for cycling and his team. The next UCI deadline is Monday, November 3. The Australians must submit all required paperwork to the Swiss authorities by this weekend. If they don’t manage this, the UCI will decide whether to grant the teams extra time to get their affairs in order. This has happened with several teams in the past, and it is expected that the merged Lotto-Intermarché team will also need more time.
On December 10, 2025, the UCI will announce the final list of teams awarded WorldTour or ProTeam licenses.
Riders are free to leave
Because Jayco AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco have not yet submitted their license applications, riders are free to negotiate with other teams. According to Escape, this has not happened (yet) because the riders trust that things will be resolved. Their agents have therefore not yet approached other teams. Among the men under contract are Michael Matthews, Ben O'Connor, Luke Plapp, Koen Bouwman, Amaury Capiot, Dries De Bondt, and Jelte Krijnsen. For the women’s team, riders under contract include Monica Trinca Colonel, Noä Jansen, Jeanne Korevaar, Silke Smulders, and Quinty Ton.
Koen Bouwman - photo: fotopersburo Cor Vos
