Jean A Vantalon, right, and Stephen Roche were two of the staff members set to be part of the now defunct Dynamo Cover cycling team. Vantalon said he exploded in anger when he heard that the team would not go ahead as planned next year.
By Brian Canty
A former staff member at the Dynamo Cover cycling team that collapsed yesterday has talked about how some riders and staff have lost everything after investing their hopes in the hands of others.
French-based media officer Jean A Vantalon said he believed the team’s founder, Eifion Weinzwerg, had treated the staff and riders badly.
The whole sorry saga started to unfold when Vantalon was made aware the team had not submitted their registration to apply for UCI Continental status.
This was made clear to him by Cycling Ireland chief executive Geoff Liffey who e-mailed Vantalon.
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The team had planned to register in Ireland, meaning Cycling Ireland would have been involved in that process.
When Vantalon subsequently contacted Weinzwerg in relation to the apparent registration delay, he was assured all was in order.
“Mr Weinzwerg said that everything was okay, that I should relax and not worry about it,” said Vantalon.
But on Friday evening he received a message while in his bed in hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment for cancer.
“We were told that the project is blocked and I fell to the ground,” he explained.
“I exploded in anger. I did not understand it and I still do not understand. After all the hard work the staff and I made, all the sacrifices with our families.
“It's crazy, I dreamt of this. I’ve wanted this for so long and to have it all taken from me with just a five-line message is hard to take.”
The reason behind the team’s collapse wasn’t fully explained, save one line saying: “Our sponsor agent received unexpected legal threats amounting to £5million and has pulled out leaving us with no options”.
Vantalon said he and the team staff are unsure what to do now.
“I don't know, I’m not a businessman and I don't know the law. For the moment, I (believe) they took advantage of me, the riders, the staff, and I am devastated.
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“I am so disgusted. It's like a knife in my back. For us, the staff and riders; we have lost everything. Our jobs, our future; we have nothing more, nothing.
“But Yann (Dejan, director of performance) and I are trying to save the riders. We’ll contact the clubs and team managers to support us and there is real help from French managers but we’ll have to see.”
For three of the five Irish riders signed – Ryan Reilly, Mark Dowling and Mark Downey - it would have been their first year at Continental level.
Philip Lavery rode for An Post-Sean Kelly and NODE 4 Giordana in the past while Sean Downey has ridden the last four seasons with An Post-Chainreaction.
For Lavery, gaining a place on Dynamo Cover offered him a way back into the Continental ranks after a period away from regular racing.
And Sean Downey had decided to stop racing abroad until Dynamo Cover said it wanted to sign him and younger brother Mark.
The news of the team’s collapse was confirmed to the riders and staff – a 27-strong group - by Weinzwerg via email at teatime on Friday.
Some of the riders were abroad training in preparation for their first season with the team when the email from Weinzwerg arrived on Friday at teatime saying:
Dear All,
I regret to say that the team project has to be delayed by 1 year.
The reason is that mid-week our sponsor agent received unexpected legal threat amounting to £5million and has pulled out leaving us with no options.
This has resulted in a postponement of sponsorship funds, until the threat is cleared.
The threat will last into 2016, however I intend to continue with the project aiming now for the 2017 season.
I thank you for your support and I can’t apologise enough for the terrible inconvenience this will cause you, and I hope you understand.
Yours sincerely
We'll bring you more as this very unfortunate saga continues to unfold.
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