Cyclocross powerhouse Pauwels Sauzen is ending its nine-year run as the primary title sponsor of Jurgen Mettepenningen’s elite off-road racing squad, as reported by TV OOST. The team will transition under a new identity starting January 1, 2027, when roof-window manufacturer Skylux steps in alongside returning building partner Altez Industriebouw to form the new Skylux-Altez Industriebouw team.
The departure marks the end of a nearly decade-long chapter for the sauce brand in the discipline. After joining forces with Mettepenningen’s management via Wout van Aert’s former Vastgoedservice setup back in 2019, Pauwels Sauzen decided its targeted brand awareness goals had been fully met. The brand also recently wound down its sponsorship activities with Christophe Brandt’s road cycling team.
Skylux-Altez Industriebouw Identity Starts in 2027
Despite the sponsorship agreement coming to a close, the team will finish out the early portion of the upcoming veldritseizoen under its familiar moniker. Michael Vanthourenhout and his teammates will race through the start of the winter under the banner of Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw. That transitional stretch opens Sunday on Flemish soil at the Mosselcross in Dendermonde, an event organized by Mettepenningen himself.
Once the calendar flips to 2027, the squad will officially adopt its new identity as Skylux-Altez Industriebouw, accompanied by a major visual overhaul. The team’s traditional red team colors will shift to a striking blue palette under the incoming four-year commitment from the Harelbeke-based family business.
Skylux and Immoweb Secure Team Financial Stability
Replacing one of the most prominent financial backers in Belgian cycling proved to be a high-stakes challenge for team management. Mettepenningen admitted during the team presentation that the initial news brought considerable anxiety. “You will not want to know how much stress I had when I got that news, but I started switching quickly and contacted many companies,” Mettepenningen stated.
That rapid pivot secured long-term stability. Alongside Skylux securing the primary naming rights for four seasons, digital real estate portal Immoweb committed to a significant financial effort as a prominent co-sponsor for a three-year term, while Cibel continues its tenure as a trusted team partner.
Commercial Ambitions Across European Markets
The entry of Skylux into the sport brings a relatively rare dynamic to professional cycling: a major female commercial director leading a headline sports investment. Veronique Mattheeuws, commercial director at Skylux, emphasized that the decision was driven purely by strategic business alignment rather than novelty. “I am female, but apart from that, we as a company look primarily at the opportunities that exist as a sponsor in cyclocross, especially when you see the success of the team’s previous sponsor,” Mattheeuws explained.
The company views the mud-and-sand discipline as an ideal platform to promote its natural daylight solutions, skylights, and flat-roof windows directly to consumers. Mattheeuws noted that Skylux’s primary commercial markets—Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany—align seamlessly with the territories where cyclocross commands its largest television audiences and cultural footprint.
Core Riders Remain as Mettepenningen Sets Targets
On the racing side, the team retains its core leadership across both men’s and women’s divisions. Michael Vanthourenhout enters his thirteenth year as a cornerstone of the squad, sharing leadership duties with Gerben Kuypers. Meanwhile, Leonie Bentveld and French rider Amandine Fouquenet anchor the women’s roster, with Fouquenet having secured an improved contract over the summer that locks her into Mettepenningen’s program through at least 2030.
Looking toward the immediate competitive future, Mettepenningen set an ambitious benchmark for his riders on the winter circuit. Team management publicly challenged the squad to surpass the threshold of 10 televised victories during the campaign, setting high expectations for Vanthourenhout, Kuypers, Bentveld, and Fouquenet as they kick off the racing schedule.
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