Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad will see a name change to Israel-Premier Tech Roland in 2023. Owners of the Women's WorldTeam have confirmed the name change and that Israel-Premier Tech will increase the team's funding as it moves into a more prominent title sponsorship role.
The team also revealed that they have applied to launch a corresponding development team with the same financial partners next year, called Israel-Premier Tech Roland Development.
"We are very happy because we would like to give one new touch to our business and teams. It's important to help riders from countries that have problems with war. We will take riders from Ukraine, Rwanda, Afghanistan, and Israel, and I've searched for one rider from Palestine, and with our foundation, we would like to help these riders. It's very important to us," team owner Ruben Contreras said of the new development programme that will receive partial support from Bike to Freedom.
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On its official Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad social media channels, the team announced its full roster for the Women's WorldTeam next year, and roster details for the development team will be released at a later date.
The top-tier team will include 12 riders; Swedish time trial champion Nathalie Eklund from Massi-Tactic, Silvia Magri from Born To Win G20 Ambedo, Sofia Collinelli from Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano, Mia Griffin from IBCT, Lara Vieceli from Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling, Thị Thật Nguyễn from Lotto Soudal Ladies, Fien Delbaere from Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team, Claire Steels from Sopela Women's Team, and Elena Pirrone from Valcar Travel & Service.
Only three of the 13 riders from this year return to the team next season; Swiss road race champion Caroline Baur, Hannah Buch and Tamara Dronova-Balabolina are all set to race under the new Israel-Premier Tech Roland banner next season, confirmed Contreras.
This year, Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad raced in its first season on the Women's WorldTour. In February, financial backers of the men's WorldTeam Israel-Premier Tech, the President and CEO of Canadian company Premier Tech Jean Bélanger, and Israel-Premier Tech partner Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, came on board as financial support for the women's programme.
Although the new sponsors held a prominent place on the jersey this year, the team did not change its official name on its licence and remained Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad. However, the team indicated at that time that the partnership could become a more long-term collaboration in future.
The men's and women's WorldTeams do not operate under the same parent company. Contreras owns the Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad, through his company Cogeas, and he confirmed to Cyclingnews that he will again retain his ownership of the Women's WorldTeam and new development team as they take on the Israel-Premier Tech Roland name in a more official capacity in 2023.
"I am the owner of Israel-Premier Tech Roland WWT, and Israel-Premier Tech is the sponsor. We will build a beautiful project together," Contreras said.
Roland, a Swiss food company, will remain a title sponsor. Contreras confirmed that Cogeas, an insurance and financial brokerage firm he founded and which owns the women's teams, will not be among the title sponsors on the licence. He also confirmed that Roland and Cogeas would have a role in the men's team.
The UCI published new rules set to take effect on November 1 that will allow Women's WorldTeams to officially register and partner with a corresponding development team next season.
Contreras could not yet confirm the roster of the Israel-Premier Tech Roland Development squad. However, he noted that the team will apply for a Continental licence and that he has hired riders from the US, Canada, Switzerland, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia. He also confirmed that both teams would be based out of Switzerland's Champagne and Épalinges areas.
Contreras also observed that the development team would be partially supported by the Bike to Freedom foundation, an association based in Epalinges that he co-founded this year and that supports young athletes in cycling with accommodation, food, medical care, training, preparation, competition, and studies.
"Because cycling is for everyone, everywhere in the world... Because cycling rhymes with passion... Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad is proud to announce the creation of its development team, playing in Continental for the 2023 season," the team wrote on its social media channels.
