Cult Energy facing ultimate survival test in Tour of Denmark

Image 1 of 4

It is do-or-die time for the Cult Energy team in the Tour of Denmark. The only Danish professional team needs a new sponsor and more money, immediately, or the team will have to stop racing within six weeks. The team is hoping a good performance in its homeland race will attract a Danish sponsor.

Team manager Michael Skelde announced last month that “After September 13, we have decided to stop our race program, because we now have a limited amount of money, so we cannot ride the last month of the season.”

It is important to Skelde to keep the team’s national identity, and he emphasized the importance of “getting a Danish partner on board. A partner who will help to preserve the Danish aspect and perhaps make the team even more Danish,” he told ekstrabladet.dk.

“I would like to create a team where Danish talents feel comfortable, and where you can be sure that the Danish talent continues to win races.”

The year started out well for the team, making its WorldTour debut with wild cards in to the Amstel Gold Race and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. The invitations “made us proud,” Skelde said, although the team, as expected, brought in no results.

“It is different with the Tour of Denmark,” he said. “It's the race that matters most to us - the ones where we have a realistic chance of winning.”

He thinks the team can finish on the podium. “And on the podium, you may as well be number one as number three. I think we can go for the win.”

To add to the team’s woes, it suffered two additional losses this year. All of their bikes were stolen at the Tour du Haut Var in mid-July. At the end of June Skelde's wife, Christa, resigned as general manager due to stress.