Cycling teams waiting for a miracle
Xacobeo-Galicia and Bbox Bouygues Telecom are both balancing on the edge of existence as the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has enforced the final team registration date to Friday, October 1.
Both teams have been searching for new sponsors, but have found none so far. By this time in the season, most cyclists have already signed their contracts for 2011, but without a sponsor, no contracts can be offered, and so both teams
have seen their top riders dropping out and joining other teams.
“I’m lucky that a lot of teams want to sign me, but they also understand my commitment to Jean-René,” said Bbox rider Thomas Voeckler to
Ouest France. “If I let Jean-René down, then there would be no more team. I want it to continue, so we have to keep going to the end. There’s been a little bit of hope since Friday and things have started moving. We’re waiting for a miracle."
Voeckler remains the only top performer still committed to Bbox, since Pierrick Fédrigo and Nicolas Vogondy have secured contracts elsewhere. Team manager Jean-René Bernaudeau has announced that the future of the team will be decided on Monday night (the
deadline for Voeckler to give an answer to the two teams that have offered him a contract).
“At this time of the year, our future was always already secured,” said Voeckler. “This is the first time that I’ve been obliged to think of other options and make a choice.”
The Galician team doesn’t have the support of a rider like Voeckler. Their top performer, Ezequiel Mosquera, has already signed a contract with Vacansoleil, after proving his value with a second-place overall at the Vuelta a Espana.
If the team does not have a sponsor by Friday, this will be their final season.
“We have gone from being heroes in Galicia and even at national level to being out in the street,” said cyclist Gustavo César Veloso. “It’s sad that the future of this project is not guaranteed.”
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