Vacansoleil has joined fellow title sponsor DCM in its decision to not extend its co-sponsorship of the Vacansoleil-DCM UCI ProTeam cycling outfit.
The luxury camping holiday company, whose current deal expires at the end of 2013, has sponsored the team for five years and has worked alongside DCM as co-sponsor since 2010.
Despite having achieved a number of high profile victories during its relationship with the team, Vacansoleil is opting not to renew its contract, saying it has already reached all of its goals during the five years of sponsorship.
The decision by both Vacansoleil and DCM leaves the team searching for new title sponsors for 2014 and onwards.
Vacansoleil-DCM team manager Daan Luijkx said: “Vacansoleil took a well measured decision and as a team we were aware of this scenario coming true. The fact that Vacansoleil reached their goals in five years is a shame in one way since they quit, but also a big compliment to the team. They had a lot of confidence in the team and understood cycling while they kept a clear border between sports and commercial interest.”
Despite the disappointment of losing both title sponsors, Luijkx is confident there will be plenty of interest in filling the gap. He added: “We talk to several parties who see the value of the sport in general and more specifically the team. Potential partners also see the chances and challenges for the sport and that this generation is a group of riders who want to compete in an honest way.”