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Qhubeka-Nexthash was unable to submit a financially guaranteed file to the International Cycling Union (UCI) on Friday to apply for WorldTour statute for next year. In a communiqué, team owner Douglas Ryder begs for interested sponsors. “Because our story is not finished, certainly not with the 2025 world championships in Rwanda just around the corner,” said the 50-year-old South African team manager. “Talks are still ongoing with potential and current sponsors. My dream remains the same: to see a rider win one day on the Champs-Elysées who started at Qhubeka.”
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In accordance with the regulations, Qhubeka-Assos reported last month to all riders who are still under contract (including Victor Campenaerts) that the future is uncertain. There would also be acute financial problems. Dimitri Claeys has long since reached an agreement with his previous employer Intermarché – Wanty Gobert to return. Sander Armée (collarbone fracture in the Vuelta) indicated to our editors in Spain that he would like to stay with Qhubeka. The only question is, after the plea from team boss Douglas Ryder, how to proceed with that team.
Italian ProTeam Vini Zabù-KTM is also about to explode
It seems that Vini Zabù-KTM is at the very last pro races. The Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport believes it knows that the ProTeam will cease to exist. As a result, the number of ProTeams in Italy with that of Gianni Savio (next year Drone Hopper-Androni), Eolo-Kometa of the Contadors (Italian registered but also partly Spanish) and Bardiani-CSF-Faizané threatens to fall back to three. This year the team had 24 riders. The best known is the sprinter Jakub Mareczko who already has 44 professional victories. The Italian is one of four who are in principle still under contract next year.
At the beginning of this week, the French ProTeam Delko stopped all activities after Paris-Tours with immediate effect. With Qhubeka-Nexthash also in serious trouble and this calamity from Italy it looks bad for a string of riders.
