Race Director Christian Prudhomme said that with Total Direct Energie automatically qualifying according to its UCI ranking and Israel Startup Nation acquiring Katusha and elevating it to the World Tour level, the 2020 He said the process of allocating wildcard invitations to the Tour de France has been simplified.

Cofidis, a longtime wildcard, automatically qualified this year after being promoted to the World Tour, which has expanded to 19 teams.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Alcare Samsic and B&B Hotels Vital Concepts had won the final two slots on the 2020 Tour.

"It's always complicated to choose," Prudhomme told Ouest France (open in new tab). 'Last year, there weren't that many. As for this summer, if Total Direct Energie hadn't been invited thanks to their UCI ranking last year, and if Israel Cycling hadn't gotten a World Tour license ......"

So, in effect, three teams were competing for the last two slots. Arkea Samsic's aggressive transfer campaign (signing Nairo Quintana, Nasser Bouhanni, Winner Anacona, and Diego Rosa) almost assured them a place in the Tour peloton; B&B Hotels - Vital Concepts, after losing sponsorship in its first two seasons, this transfer B&B Hotels - Vital Concepts might have struggled to find sponsors if not for this move.

"In the end, the decision came very naturally. For Arkea Samsic, there was no doubt. The team already had Warren Barguil, who was joined by Nairo Quintana. And Nairo Quintana joined them.

"I gave the tail end to B&B Hotels-Vital Concepts; I wanted to give them a chance in their third season. Pierre Rolland, Arthur Vichot, Cyril Gauthier ...... Let's not forget their sprinter, Brian Coquard, who has won many races."

"The Tour has mountains and intermediate mountains, Pierre Rolland, Artur Vichot, Cyril Gautier ...... which I think is better suited for riders like them who have won many races.

Belgium's Circus-Wanty Gobert, who has competed in the last three Tours, has been sidelined for 2020, not least because he lost French talent Guillaume Martin to Cofidis in the off-season. Martin finished 12th overall in the 2019 Tour.

"Their disappointment is understandable. Wanty didn't let themselves down in the Tour and the team has revitalized the previous editions," Prudhomme said.

"But the fact that Guillaume Martin is no longer with this team and that the Tour next summer (as in 2019) will not start in Belgium weighed heavily. And it must be said that in every country, national preferences play no small part. Belgian teams have experienced the same thing with the Liège-Bastogne-Liège invitation."