B&B p/b KTM team manager Jérôme Pineau has insisted that his project for the squad, and so the signing of Mark Cavendish, is on track for 2023.
The French ProTeam has plans to expand considerably for next season, with the widely rumoured signing of Cavendish and a host of other riders, the arrival of new major title sponsors, a 15-million euro annual budget, a new women’s team that includes Audrey Cordon-Ragot and an association with the Ville de Paris all on the cards.
These plans were questioned last week after the team failed complete an initial UCI registration procedure on time. A planned press conference in Paris for October 26th to reveal riders and backers was also cancelled at short notice.
On Tuesday L'Equipe raised concerns about the team's plans and Pineau's silence but pointed out that B&B Hotels will remain as a key sponsor and invest five million Euro. Amazon France, Carrefour or Cdiscount have all been rumoured as possible sponsors but L’Equipe suggest that natural gas and green energy supplier Engie is now the most likely new title sponsor.
Team manager Jérôme Pineau finally broke his silence to tell French newspaper Le Télégramme that he has "the people to finance the teams.”
“It’s in my nature always to be worried,” Pineau told Le Telegramme. “Given the current circumstances, you’re always at risk of a rider or a sponsor making a volte-face.”
“These days, it’s not easy to get a loan on a house so to get one to back a cycling team.”
With the October announcement now not happening, Pineau said he hoped he would have some good news in November.
“We’re doing the work. I hope everything will fall into place quickly. I have the people to back the team. I’m in permanent contact with them,” Pineau told Le Télégramme.
“That said, when we’ve announced everything, I will be nervous the day after to know if it’ll all work out okay.”
Pineau added that he had “put his riders at ease” and that he had told them that the team management were “putting body and soul into this project” to reach what he called “serenity” as soon as possible.
“I am trying to be sure they [the riders] sleep better than I do,” he concluded. “They’re supporting me.”
October 15 was a key deadline for team registration with the UCI, with riders free to terminate any contracts if a team fails to supply vital information and a bank guarantee by then.
Cavendish has still to confirm his team for 2023 but has been widely linked to B&B Hotels. He would help the team secure a wild card invitation to the 2023 Tour de France and have a dedicated lead out train to help him target the record number of stage wins.
A number of other riders are set to join the team including Cees Bol, Nick Schultz, Ramon Sinkeldam and veteran leadout man Maximiliano Richeze. Pierre Rolland, Luca Mozzato, Julien Morice, Thibault Ferasse, Cyril Lemoine, Maxime Chevalier and Cyril Gauthier have all extended their contracts with the team.
According to L’Équipe, Cavendish and other new riders were in Paris two weeks ago to agree a ‘memorandum of understanding’. Cavendish was expected to attend the Tour de France presentation in Paris on Thursday morning and then travel to Singapore and Japan for the Tour de France criteriums on October 30 and November 6.
The UCI completes the assessment of ProTeam applicants on November 15, giving Pineau three weeks to confirm his plans and finally announce Cavendish's signing for 2023.
