Fortuneo-Samsic and Look end partnership before Tour de France

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The Fortuneo-Samsic squad and bicycle and component manufacturer Look have opted to dissolve their partnership with immediate effect, both parties announced by a short press release on Monday.

Look has supplied the team's bike frames, pedals and wheels for the past four seasons and were contracted through 2020, but have taken the unusual step of pulling out just before the biggest race of the season, the Tour de France.

The President of Look Cycle, Federico Musi, and Fortuneo-Samsic manager Emmanuel Hubert gave little indication of the reasons behind the sudden split.

"Our collaboration has been a success, based on a common passion and a shared desire to support and promote French professional cycling and national industrial know-how, Fortuneo-Samsic and Look Cycle share the same ambition for growth. We wish each other all the best for the future, starting with the 2018 Tour de France," they said in a joint statement.

There are only rumours about which company will step in and fill the void, but with the Tour less than two weeks away, a sudden switch of equipment will mean a lot more work for the Fortuneo-Samsic mechanics and a rushed adjustment for the riders.