Arkéa - B&B Hotels face disbandment at the end of the year: "We'll know in April whether we get to continue or stop"

Team Arkéa - B&B Hotels is in quite a predicament this year. The traditional French formation which dates back to 1990s is in immediate danger of disbanding at the end of 2025 if they are unable to secure sufficient funds. It's yet another blow for the team that was already in a seemingly lost situation in the UCI rankings since last year, with relegation to PRT-level now inevitable even if the team makes it through to 2026.

Team boss Emmanuel Hubert told L'Équipe that he is currently negotiating with their two main sponsors to try and prolong the contract beyond 2025, and he recognised that the coming months will be critical when it comes to the team's long-term survival. "It's tough to have to go fishing [for sponsors] every day," Hubert said "but I love this squad and my 150 employees."  

"Together with our sponsors, we're taking a responsible point of view, and we've got a six-month period prior to the end of the contract to say whether we're going or staying. So by the end of March or start of April, we'll know if we continue or stop by the end of 2025."

The Arkéa-B&B Hotels riders are conscious of the team's predicament. While some of the team's key figures were able to find a new shelter last winter, the remaining riders continue to focus on races ahead of them - rather than panicking about their future.

"There are things we don't need to know about," 2024 Tour de France stage winner Kévin Vauquelin told L'Équipe. "It's up to us to do our work, and Manu [Hubert] and the management to do the rest."

"Manu Hubert is very confident about the future, and I'm trusting him," added team sprinter Arnaud Démare. "I only bring up the subject with journalists. We don't talk about it between ourselves. We're aware of the situation but we don't think about it every five minutes."