DCM will not renew with Vacansoleil beyond 2013

WorldTour team Vacansoleil-DCM has announced that secondary sponsor DCM has decided not to extend their sponsorship beyond 2013. The Belgian fertilizer company signed a three-year deal in 2010 but informed the team’s management that this would be their final season.

The team are currently searching for a main sponsor for next season with Vacansoleil’s current contract also set the expire.

“DCM never had the intention to be on WorldTour level for a really long period. They were looking for an ambitious Pro Continental team which was able to go into the WorldTour after two years,” team manager Daan Luijkx.

“After that, their final goal was to be at the highest level for three years. In those three years, they did some great things to activate the sponsorship and they gained brand awareness in several important countries for their business. In a way you can say we succeeded too fast.”

In March, Luijkx told Cyclingnews that "We are busy with the investigation and we'll wait for all the results and then we'll make a statement. I don't know how long it will take but it could take weeks," but the team have yet to secure a title sponsor for next season. It hasn't helped that they've had to defend Juan Antonio Flecha over allegations in the Dutch press that the Spaniard was part a client of Dr. Fuentes, or that the team launched their own investigation into José Rujano.

Koen Feyaerts, who was responsible for the cycling sponsorship within DCM, believes the future of the team is bright. “The steps the team made since it was founded in 2009 are impressive. The first three years in the WorldTour were an amazing teaching class for them. I believe that at the moment the team organisation is ready for the next step forward. With a dedicated budget this team has it all to be among the sub-top in the pro peloton.”