Int'l Cycling Union Expanding WorldTour Into U.K., U.S. For First Time

The Int'l Cycling Union (UCI) announced an expanded WorldTour calendar for '17 "that will see the series host premier level races in five countries," including Britain and the U.S., for a first time, according to Amlan Chakraborty of REUTERS. The UCI said in a statement, "The expanded series will consist of 37 events. Alongside the three Grand Tours, there will be 14 stage races and 20 one-day events." A total of 10 new events were awarded three-year licenses to "join a series that will take the peloton to 15 countries over a nine-month period," with the Tour Down Under kicking off the '17 season in Australia from Jan. 17-22. Australia will also host the "first of the new events on the schedule when the riders line up for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on Jan. 29." The RideLondon-Surrey Classic, won by Belgium's Tom Boonen on Sunday, "has also been added to the schedule, giving Britain a first event on the series" (REUTERS, 8/3).