Vacansoleil breaks with Bianchi as sponsor hopes fade

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Vacansoleil team manager Daan Luijkx (Image credit: DCP/Bert Geerts)

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The Vacansoleil team with new Dutch champion Johnny Hoogerland — The Vacansoleil team with new Dutch champion Johnny Hoo♒gerland (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

For the second time this season, general manager Daan Luijkx has told the riders and staff of 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Vacansoleil-DCM to look out for new employment as the team's future is still not secure. As the search for replacements for its two exiting title sponsors continues, the squad has now mutually terminated its contract with equipment sponsor Bianchi. The Dutch media has speculated that Belkin would ride on the Italian bikes next season, while Belkin sponsor 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giant moves to Argos-Shimano.

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"We had an verbal agreement for 2014 and 2015 with Bianchi. I was clear with them at the start of the Tour de France 💝on how things were going with regards to finding a new sponsor. They were willing to wait until after the Tour but then had to take a decision. We mutually agreed that we would break our agreement. Bianchi has been a great partner who wants to stay at the h🌠ighest level of cycling after they have been away for a few years."

The Vacansoleil-DCM team started out in 2009 when it secured the Dutch camping firm Vacansoleil as main sponsor. In 2011 DCM signed on and the team rode for three seasons in the WorldTour. In May, both Vacansoleil and DCM announced they would not renew their contracts. The team has 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:searched for replacements, but nothing has been finalized. Tim👍e is running out to not only retain riders, most of whom had one-year contracts because last year Vacansoleil would only extend through the end of this season, and rider points are necessary for entry into the WorldTour.

Luijkx is adamant that he wants to stay in cycling, although making the sport's highest level for 201ꩵ4 is nearly impossible at this point in the year. "We need a miracle to get a WorldTour license because the paperwork needs to be filled in on short notice. Even if I find a sponsor for the required budget it would mean I need to sign all sorts of riders with point﷽s to make it to the top 18 of the team's ranking. We did that in the past because we really wanted to act on WorldTour level, but I don't want to do that again," Luijkx said.

In June, Luijkx informed his riders and a staff of 50 people of what was going on. He repeated this on August 1, after the set deadline of the Tour de France had passed. In the meanwhile, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lieuwe Westra signed a🌊 contract with Astana and Kris Boeckmans signed with Lotto-Belisol. "We want our riders and staff to find good new teams. And we also help them to do so, even though the majority of them don't have a contract for 2014 in place. Many of them are in negotiations with other♕ team⛎s."