Domestic Elite Teams

*** Riders eligible to enter Pro Road Nationals may be found HERE, under Event Guidelines.

In an effort to better organize the top level of road cycling in the United States, USA Cycling created Domestic Elite Teams which is a category of road teams that sits between a club and a UCI Continental team. Domestic Elite Teams offer a stepping stone to the professional level and better solidify the position of teams competing at the US Pro National Championships, Criterium National Series, and the American Criterium Cup. 
 

*** NOTEWORTHY ITEMS FOR 2025 *** 

• We are no longer collecting a Race Clean Fee ($350).
• All team managers are required to have a current MVR (Motor Vehicle Report) before we can issue a UCI Support - Director or Team Manager license.
• To be eligible to enter Pro Road Nationals, riders must be on your roster no later than March 1, 2025. No exceptions and no guest riders for nationals.
• Please note the difference between a USA and a Foreign team as explained in the Team Composition section. 

Applications for Domestic Elite Teams will be accepted December 1 - January 15, 2025. Teams submitting after this point will be charged a $150 late fee, with June 30, 2025 the last possible chance to register a DET for 2025. 

• Includes registration for the Domestic Elite Team only as a USA Cycling Club, a $225 value. DETs who wish to add another team under their USA Cycling Club are responsible for the covering the cost of the club registration fee.
• One UCI Support license for the team manager/director (a $245 value) will be comped.
• Eligible to acquire team points in the American Criterium Cup, subject to registration deadlines set by the ACC.
• Eligible for entry into the qualification process for select National and International events (Subject to maximum team size and nationality requirements of the event).
• Team Manager/Director is eligible to drive a car in the caravan at US Pro National Championships (if selected for entry). The car must be in support of the DET. 
• Listing on team contact list for National Series, ACC, and UCI races.
• Listed online and in materials sent to races and race directors requesting team information from USA Cycling.
• Approved Teams may use the USA Cycling Domestic Elite Team logo on team kits for the riders on the DET, website, etc. Logo requirements and image files can be found here.

Teams must consist of a minimum of 4 riders and a maximum of 15 riders per team, per gender. All riders on a roster must meet the required category restrictions (Men: Cat 1, Women: Cat 1/2) at the time the application is received. NO EXCEPTIONS. There is no age restriction for riders on DETs.

• USA Teams
  • 50% of the riders on the team roster must be USA citizens with a USA sporting nationality. If a team is registering both a men's and women's team, 50% applies to both genders. 
  • Riders who participate at Pro Road Nationals for a DET are not eligible for release from the team until after June 30. 
• Foreign Teams
  • Less than 50% of the riders on the team's roster are USA Citizens with a USA sporting nationality. If a team is registering both a men's and women's team, this would apply to both genders. For example, Team A wants to regitster a men's and women's team. The men's team consists of at least 50% of the riders as USA Citizens with a USA sporting nationality, where the women's team has only one rider meeting the criteria and the rest are foreign riders. The overall team would be considered a Foreign Team and would pay a Foreign Team fee* on top of their registration fee. 
  • Foreign UCI Continental or the equivalent of a DET, must register with USA Cycling as a DET to be eligible for National Series rankings.

Foreign riders registered on and Domestic Elite Team rosters must be current in the UCI DataRide system, indicating they hold a current license with their country's federation.

• Applications for Domestic Elite Teams will be accepted beginning December 1 - January 15, 2025 using the following link: DET Registration Link.
• Please be sure to complete your application prior to submitting it, as you will not be able to go back in and pick up where you left off to complete it. 
• Teams approved as a DET will be notified as soon as possible and no later than the end of January. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed for inclusion until all requirements are met.
• Teams not registered by the above date may still be considered for DET status but will be required to pay a late fee of $150 in addition to the registration fees.

• Race Clean Fees have been eliminated for 2025, resulting in a $350 savings.
• Foreign Team fees will be collected for teams meeting Foreign Team composition as described in the Team Composition section above.

• Credit card information will be collected at the time of application and charged in January. Please be sure the information you provided will not expire before then.

Once the initial DET applications are processed, riders may be added to the roster by completing the Add Rider form. The fee for each occurrence is $25. All riders added to the roster must still meet the team composition guidelines as it pertains to category, sporting nationality, and number of riders. 

Riders added after March 1 will not be considered eligible for entry into the US Pro Road National Championships, regardless of whether the team was selected to participate.

All riders who are quest riding with a DET must present a signed release letter from their existing team, with the approval to race for another team during a specific time period. The guest rider may not participate in an event that their current team is also participating. 

Any series points earned by guest riders are subject to the regulations for the identified series. For example, if the race is an ACC race then the ACC regulations would determine if guest riders are eligible to earn points in the ACC series. 

Each team must have a designated team manager that meets the following criteria:

• Team Managers must be current on SafeSport training at the time the DET application is received. SafeSport training is required every year. The is no cost for the training. 
• Team Managers must have a current Criminal Background Check through USA Cycling at the time the DET application is received. CBCs are good for two years. The cost varies by state. 
• Team Manager must have a current Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) through USA Cycling at the time the DET application is received. CBCs are good for two years. The cost varies by state. This is your driving record for those not familiar with an MVR. This is a new requirement for 2025. 
• Team Managers must have a UCI ID. If a UCI ID is not listed on their USAC account, they must provide proof of citizenship (current passport or birth certificate) to complete the requirements for the UCI Support License. Please send proof of citizenship by uploading a copy of your current passport with your DET application.
   

To verify expiration dates of SafeSport training, the Criminal Background Check,  and/or the Motor Vehicle Report, Team Managers should log on to their USA Cycling account and go to the Membership tab (gray bar) where they will find an expiration for each under each. Please use the 'renew' links under each if they are needed. The renew link will appear for the background check and motor vehicle report beginning 30-days from expiration. Please note, both of these take 3-5 business days to complete.