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What is a wildcard invitation in cycling?
A wildcard invitation is an invitation from a race organiser to a team that does not have an automatic right to start the race, usually a ProTeam.
WorldTeams have the right, and the obligation, to ride WorldTour races, and the best-ranked ProTeams from the previous season also receive automatic invitations. The remaining places are filled by the organiser, who chooses which other teams to invite.
For ProTeams, a wildcard to a Grand Tour or a Monument can transform a season. It brings television exposure for sponsors and the chance of a big result. Organisers often favour teams from their own country, teams with popular riders, or teams that are likely to attack and animate the race.
Because only a handful of places are available in the biggest races, competition for wildcards is intense, and decisions are often criticised by the teams that miss out.
Being invited and being competitive are different things. A ProTeam on a Grand Tour startlist faces much richer WorldTeams. Our ProTeams page lists teams in the second tier, and our race pages show which teams started each race we cover.