Lampre-Merida have received confirmation that they have been granted a two-year ProTeam license that allows the team to continue its long-term investment into the development of young riders. In a statement, the team reiterates its stance that it is not involved in the Mantova doping investigation.

The UCI License Commission has issued another ProTeam license as Lampre-Merida has confirmed that they will be part of the WorldTour for the coming two years. This means that the Italian team will be part of cycling's premier division as it has been since the introduction of the ProTour in 2005.

As the team's license expires at the end of the year, Lampre-Merida were not on the list of teams that was granted a license already earlier this year and had to appear before the License Commission. According to the team, the squad fulfils all administrative, financial, ethical, and sporting criteria and is the second team to be granted a license since the publication of the initial list, with Lotto Belisol confirming their license in November.

" We would like to express utmost satisfaction for the renewal of the World Tour Licence, as confirmed by the Licensing commission and the International Cycling Union, thus allowing team LAMPRE-MERIDA two more years in the World Tour circuit, a circuit of excellence in the cycling world which once again sees Lampre constantly present since the foundation of the Licence scheme in the year 2005," the team wrote in a statement.

With a two-year license in place, the team will be allowed to continue its long-term planning of the future. It plans to invest both in the youth sector, a feeder team at continental level and the WorldTour team whose average age will be lowered to just 26 years. Furthermore, the team will renew investments in the Youth Cycling Project through which it has contributed to a total of 40 teams with 1,450 young athletes, and continue its focus on education.

In the statement, the team also repeats its stance in the Mantova affair that is centered around pharmacist Guido Nigrelli and the Italian team. Several of the team's current and former riders as well as team managers and sports directors will appear before the court in the case, with the first hearing taking place today. The next steps will be taken on January 24.

"[We are] aware of the technicalities and procedures pending before the prosecutor of Mantova and the realisation of the time needed to clarify the case, confirming once again and insisting of no involvement of the team in this case, at the same time confirming full trust in the institution," the team wrote in its statement.

While the case is now going through the courts, the Italian Olympic Committee has requested sporting sanctions for Alessandro Ballan, Nigrelli and Doctor Eugenio Bonazzi. They will appear before CONI on January 16.