The news of that HTC-Highroad would come to a close at the end of the race season came as a surprise to everyone, but not the least of which were the riders currently competing at the Tour of Poland.

Cyclingnews spoke with Alex Rasmussen, who was new to the team this season, and he was sad about the situation.

"The best team in the world is closing, nobody was really counting on it. I was sure they were going to find a sponsor," Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said the team would soldier on, racing the rest of the Tour of Poland and the season as professionals, but that he would miss the atmosphere of the team. "I will definitely miss that. I loved it there."

He would not give into speculation about where he might go in the future, but said that "everything is an option at the moment", and added that he would go home, relax and consider his future.