B&B Hotels-KTM were "sold a dream" and "conned" according to Pierre Rolland

B&B Hotels-KTM will be no more into 2023, at least without a single chance in it's current form. Although the chances of a continental team continuing, they are very unlikely, and team headliner Pierre Rolland has shared his emotions regarding the roller-coaster saga that has had an unhappy ending.

"I've had some contacts, and I maybe have the possibility to continue. But I also have the possibility to stop," the popular Frenchman told OuestFrance. "Honestly, it is still too early to say what I'm going to do. I'm still waiting." At 36 years of age and without contract in December, it will not be easy for Rolland to find a contract, however he is still unsure of the plan for the coming year. 

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He was signed by the Breton team in 2019 following many years as one of France's best and most popular climbers. Although past the prime of his career, his aggressive stance has kept him on the cameras, and he's won the 2020 Tour de Savoie Mont Blanc alongside a stage win and KOM classification. In 2021 he won a stage at the Tour du Rwanda, whilst this year he's won the KOM classification at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

"I never said it was all over. Yes, as it stands, we're stopping... If there's a miracle, I will call people back," he admits, confirming he's not on bad terms with the team managemet, and specifically Jerôme Pineau. "I'll continue to support the project, even if personally I won't be signing up for it. Continental level, as I see it, is about young riders. For the end of my career, it's not what I want."

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Of course, the roller-coaster for B&B Hotels-KTM had a different ending intended. After almost confirming a €15 million euro budget, a significant increase that led the team to sign the likes of Mark Cavendish and Cees Bol, the sponsors had pulled out and the team was left without that budget. Eventually, it has collapsed as it failed to find replacements.

"For me, it's more nuanced. I'm very disappointed and sad, but I'm aware that Jérôme and B&B Hotels didn't want this to happen. There was a problem at a certain moment, and Jérôme will explain in due course, but I think they were conned. It's possible that they were sold a dream. But there we go, no one wanted this," Rolland explained.

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"Jérôme believed in me in 2019, I had a contract with him for four years, I'm not going to bite the hand that fed me," he continued. "That doesn't stop me being said, of course, or asking questions, but Jérôme is a young manager, the economic landscape is very complicated, and this type of misfortune has happened to other managers in the past. Mistakes can happen. Maybe there's anger, but I prefer to still believe that it's not over."

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