Vacansoleil is likely to fold at the end of the season but from the ashes, a now ProContinental team may be built. Sports director Hilaire van der Schueren has secured funding for 3 million euro to build a new ProContinental team which will reportedly be led by classics star Björn Leukemans.
Due to a lack of sponsorship, Vacansoleil is unlikely to continue in the 2014 season and many of the team's riders have already signed new contracts. Now there is a chance that a new team may be set up with many of the team's current riders.
Sports director Hilaire van der Schueren has already secured funding for three million euro as he tries to set up a ProContinental team for next season. Yesterday he met a potential investor which could potentially step in to fill the remaining gap in the budget.
"I have learned to keep both feet on the ground," he told Het Nieuwsblad. "To be very concrete: I am seeking 1 million euro out of a total budget of four million euro."
Van der Schueren will travel to Canada this week for the GP de Quebec and Montreal and knows that time is running out.
"When I come back from Canada, I give myself another week, then it needs be finalized," he said.
According to the Belgian newspaper, the team will be built around classics star Björn Leukemans who has numerous top 10 places in races like Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Amstel Gold Race and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Asked about rumours that he had already signed a new contract, the Belgian didn't rule out a step down to ProContinental level.
"Who says I have a new team," he told Het Nieuwsblad last week. "I don't need to ride for a World Tour team. I don't care about the grand tours. One-day races are my thing."
From the current Vacansoleil squad, Pim Ligthart, Kris Boeckmans, Barry Markus, Wout Poels and Lieuwe Westra have all found new teams.
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