Rabobank becomes Blanco
ProTour team still needs to find title sponsor
The WorldTour team formerly known as Rabobank has found a new name, but still needs to find a title sponsor for 2014. Next year, Robert Gesink, Laurens Ten Dam and Luis Leon Sanchez will race under the banner of Blanco Pro Cycling. The Dutch financial concern Rabobank withdrew sponsorship in October in the wake of the Lance Armstrong affair.
World and Olympic road champion Marianne Vos’s team will continue to be known as Rabobank Liv-Giant, as the financial institution has agreed to fund the women’s side until 2016. Giant will carry on as the bicycle supplier for all permutations of Rabobank, including continental squad Rabobank Development, managed by a new Dutch Cycling Federation foundation, and the Giant Offroad Team, for which Rabobank will provide some funding.
The role of team director will pass from Harald Knebel to Richard Plugge, formerly the communications director.