Rick Delaney has revealed he has put €7 million of his own money into Aqua Blue Sport. And the team now plans to seek third party sponsorship as its website is not bringing enough revenue (Photo: Karen M Edwards – Aqua Blue Sport)
Rick Delaney has spent €7 million on Aqua Blue Sport to date
Having been frustrated by a lack of invites to big races, Aqua Blue Sport owner Rick Delaney has said he plans to look for a sponsor for next year.
The Cork-born businessman had set up his team to fund itself through a website selling cycling kit. The intention was to fund the team solely from the proceeds of the website.
However, he has now said that part of the business has fallen well short of what he hoped for.
And having said that he himself has already spent €7 million on the team he will look for an outside sponsor next year.
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But if he can’t get a sponsor, he says the team will continue anyway and will remain funded solely by him.
Stickybottle understands the ProContinental squad has also closed its Cork office.
And now the team will be run from London instead, where some of its support staff were already living.
Other staff who were based in Cork will no longer work with the team.
Delaney has told the Irish Independent the plan of having the team funded from the website within two years will not happen.
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"Not a chance, nowhere near it,” he said. "I have to keep trying, I have to keep going.
“To be honest we're going to have to look at a third-party sponsor - which is something I never wanted to do - to carry us through next year and the year after. We're going to have to put our hand out.”
He said the website simply wasn’t generating enough revenue and so an outside sponsor was needed.
"That doesn't mean our position changes if we don't get one… I'll continue solo."
Last month he expressed his frustration at not being invited to major races. He criticised the Tour of California for not inviting the team to the race despite having US champion Larry Warbasse in its ranks.
Aqua Blue Sport also missed out on an invite to the Tour de France and Vuelta, as well as the Giro; though it had not pursued the Giro to any great extent.
And it was also largely ignored by Tour owner ASO and Giro owner RCS when they were inviting teams to its other races.
Delaney believes his team is trying to change cycling and the pro scene needs to give Aqua Blue Sport more respect.
"I as an individual have invested €7m in the sport of cycling and these guys won't give us a start. And we're different to other teams.
"Other teams are all corporate structures where you've got corporations writing cheques so that brands get visibility.
"They don't necessarily care about the sport. It's about the brand getting visibility.
"We're completely different. The team is the brand, the brand is the team - on that basis alone we should be given more respect."
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