A merger with, or sale to, Aqua Blue Sport was mooted but now Veranda’s Willems-Crelan has agreed a similar arrangement with another cycling team.
Aqua Blue tried merging with Veranda’s Willems
Already hit with devastating blows this week the Aqua Blue Sport riders must now look on as the Belgian out its employers intended joining forces with has secured another deal.
Veranda’s Willems-Crelan and Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij will merge for 2019. And they say their next aim is to grow and secure Grand Tour invites.
The new Dutch-Belgian team will be known as Roompot-Crelan. Crelan–Charles will remain the name of the cyclocross team run by Veranda’s Willems-Crelan.
“The common ambition of this project is to create and develop a strong Belgian-Dutch cycling team, with both Belgian and Dutch riders and staff members,” a statement said.
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“The team will be registered under the Belgian license of Sniper Cycling, but will ride under the Dutch flag.
“After all, the Netherlands is home to the new main sponsor Roompot Vakanties.
“This shows the equal proportions between the Belgian and Dutch background of this unique BeNe cycling project.”
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Aqua Blue Sport had intended to merge with, or buy, ProContinental team Veranda’s Willems-Crelan.
Reports emerged earlier this month stating the Irish team would merge with the Belgian outfit. Aqua Blue Sport took to Twitter to dismiss the stories as “fake news”.
And within hours the Irish team issued a statement saying it had bought Veranda’s Willems-Crelan.
It added a number of the staff from that team would join Aqua Blue Sport, including star rider Wout Van Aert.
However, the Belgian outfit immediately issued a statement distancing itself from Aqua Blue Sport’s press release.
It said the Irish squad had not taken it over. However, it confirmed talks were ongoing to secure a working arrangement for next year.
Aqua Blue Sport then withdrew its statement. And team owner Rick Delaney later said the talks were continuing and would result in a positive outcome.
However, on Monday the Irish team issued a statement saying the talks were terminated without a deal having been reached.
And it said it would not be seeking a ProContinental licence for next year. It then later emerged the team would not see out the season, and would not race again.
It relinquished its place at the Tour of Britain, which starts this weekend, to be replaced by Team Wiggins.
Talks between Veranda’s Willems-Crelan and Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij have been ongoing of late. And now a successful merger for next year has been agreed.
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