Bbox saved by Europcar sponsorship
Europcar has announced that they will be taking over the title sponsorship of Jean-René Bernaudeau’s team Bbox for at least the next three years, saving the team from an end that had seemed almost inevitable last week.
“It’s a huge relief”, said team captain Thomas Voeckler. “Honestly, I didn’t believe anymore that a solution would come along. I’m thankful to the people from Europcar who have organised everything in a period of three days.”
Thomas Voeckler remains the only top cyclist to not have already signed with another team in light of the apparent likelihood that the team would not continue into 2011. Voeckler had announced on Friday that if no sponsor was found by six pm, he would officially
transfer to Team Cofidis.
“I didn’t see myself leaving fifty people unemployed,” said Voeckler, in explanation of his loyalty Bernaudeau’s team.
Friday was the deadline imposed by the Union Cycliste Internationale for the team to submit its application for a license for the 2011 season, but when it was revealed that the UCI had allowed Bernaudeau a three-day extension, Voeckler changed his plan.
“Thomas has taken the decision not to sign and that’s regrettable,” said Cofidis manager Eric Boyer to
Reuters. “I don’t think that anybody could have proposed better conditions to him than us in order to pursue his career. It’s not that Cofidis broke off the negotiations, it’s Thomas who took the decision not to sign.”
2011 will be the team’s twelfth year in the professional peloton and Voeckler’s eleventh year with the team. Reports suggest that car-rental company Europcar had contacted Voeckler directly to inform him that they would only back Bernaudeau’s team if the
French cyclist stayed with the team.
On Monday, the final day of the extended deadline, everything was publicly confirmed and the team dossier was delivered to the UCI.
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