The 18 teams that hold UCI ProTeam status are obliged to participate in all races.

The organisers of each race can additionally invite other teams that hold UCI Pro-Continental status, or an ad hoc national selection, to compete.

In a change from previous years, only riders of a UCI ProTeam were to be able to score points for the world ranking.

Alberto Contador, who initially finished in third place overall, had his results retrospectively removed in February 2012, and his points were reallocated.

The national rankings are used to determine how many riders a country can have in the World Championships[7] and the Olympics.