Jumbo and BrandLoyalty have already agreed to an extension of the sponsorship of the LottoNL-Jumbo cycling and skating teams until 2018, but Lotto still leaves the question open whether they will continue the sponsorship. They will provide for more clarity on April 1.

Lotto have made the announcement in response to a report in De Telegraaf. Because of an upcoming merger between Lotto and Staatslotterij which is a sponsor of Roompot Orange Peloton, they need a few months to make a decision. "We have agreed with the team that we will make our decision  about our possible extension of the sponsorship agreement before April 1, 2016," the statement reads.

"We are certainly not unhappy, quite the contrary. But we are in the middle of preparations for the planned merger with the Staatslotterij and therefore want to take the time to make a sound decision. Obviously, we will notify the team about our decision as soon as possible."

In an interview with NOS, cycling manager Richard Plugge has reacted to the news that the skating-cycling team has secured a budget of ten million euros until 2018. "It's good for the sporting part but also for the business model because in this way we can continue to build our team and our identity," says the manager. "Lotto is excited. I expect that they will continue to commit themselves to the team beyond 2016."