Boels Dolmans is not among the eight teams that have submitted applications for Women's World Tour licenses as part of the new two-tier system that will go into effect in 2020.

Trek-Segafredo, Canyon SRAM, Mitchelton-Scott, CCC-Liv, Movistar, Team Sunweb, Ale Cipollini, and FDJ have officially submitted the necessary documents for the UCI to consider their top team status.

However, the team ranked first in both the UCI World Ranking and the UCI Women's World Tour Ranking will not be part of the top level next year. Similarly, the WNT-Rotor, which had announced its intention to obtain a World Tour license, is not among the applicants.

The Women's World Tour has existed as a race category for years, but until now teams have not been categorized like men's professional cycling, as part of various reforms to women's cycling under UCI President David Lapartient, Starting in 2020, women's teams will be either "UCI Women's World Teams" or "UCI Women's Continental Teams."

There will be a maximum of eight WorldTour teams in 2020, and all eight teams that apply will be granted licenses if they meet the governing body's "sporting, ethical, financial and operational criteria."

Teams would receive a five-year license from 2020 to 2024, and new teams could participate in subsequent years until the maximum of 15 teams is reached in 2024. After that, licenses will be awarded based on raking points.

"The UCI is pleased with the number of applications received, a sign of the vitality and professionalism of women's cycling.

Indeed, La Partiente had set a figure of five top-class teams when it explained its plans for a Women's World Tour to Cycling News about 12 months ago. However, the absence of Boels Dolmans, a leading team and home to world champion Anna van der Breggen, raises questions.

Team manager Danny Stam has previously expressed concern about the UCI's reform of women's cycling, not only the two-tier team system, but also the new structure of race categories, minimum salaries, and many contract requirements, including maternity cover and health insurance provisions.

"We are very much in favor of further professionalization of the sport. But the addition of a new category to the Women's World Tour is very important, and the progress is incremental," Stamm told Cycling News late last year."

"While the minimum salary requirements are not an issue, the additional costs required for a team to establish a professional women's team are many and significant.

Luca Guercilena, general manager of Trek Segafredo, said his team had no problem meeting the soaring financial demands, partly because it could share existing infrastructure from the men's World Tour team. Indeed, of the eight teams that applied for licenses, six were affiliated with existing men's World Tour teams, with Canyon-SRAM and Ale Cipollini being the exceptions.

The final decision on which teams will receive Women's World Tour licenses will be announced in December.