Mark Cavendish's supposed new team for next year - ProContinental squad B&B Hotels-KTM - has found itself at the centre of French reports about its future after missing a UCI deadline and also cancelling a press conference where a range of new developments were due to be unveiled.
While neither incident spells disaster for the team, the two issues coming in quick succession have now resulted in reports, including in respected French sports newspaper L'Équipe, that the squad is under pressure. It has been suggested the new sponsorship deals are still not certain, even though they were due to be announced tomorrow.
Cavendish already has 34 Tour de France stage wins - the equal all-time record with Eddy Merckx. With no room for the British rider at QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl next year, Cavendish needs a new team. The former world champion has been strongly linked with B&B Hotels-KTM in a bid to return to the Tour and take at least one more win and secure the all-time record.
Advertisement
However, the team was not among the list of teams announced last week by the UCI as having applied for World Tour and Pro Continental licences for next year. That development is by no means terminal as teams often need to add various elements to their application and can then be confirmed at a later date, which is not unusual.
Related News
However, that issue was the followed by the team cancelling the major press conference due to take place tomorrow. The team said the cancellation was due to "the absence of some of the main stakeholders in the 2023 team project". It was expected the team would unveil its rider roster and sponsorship deals at that press conference, which was timed to come 24 hours before the Tour de France route for 2023 is unveiled.
That press conference has not been rescheduled and now L'Équipe has said the team's plans had become "complicated" and that none of the sponsor contracts speculated upon in recent months appear to be signed at this point. L'Équipe also suggested the large number of potential sponsors linked to the team in recent months has added to uncertainty about the commercial future of the squad.
It was widely reported Maximiliano Richeze, who rode for UAE Team Emirates this year, had been recruited by the team as a lead-out man for Cavendish. Other reported signings includes Cees Bol, who rode for Team DSM this year, outgoing Groupama-FDJ rider Ramon Sinkeldam (Groupama-FDJ) and Nick Schultz, who rode for Bike Exchange-Jayco in 2022.
The team was also said to be launching a women's team, all based on a budget of at least €15 million from new sponsorship deals, including with the City of Paris and the Olympic Games. Others sponsors linked to the team include its existing backer, B&B Hotels continuing as one of the backers. Media reports have also linked a range of other possible sponsors to the team including: Amazon France, Carrefour, Cdiscount and French energy companies Enedis and Engie.
