"If he didn’t believe in our project, he would have signed elsewhere" - Jerôme Pineau finally admits Cavendish signing

B&B Hotels-KTM are currently in serious trouble, and Jerôme Pineau has finally admitted that Mark Cavendish is lined up to enter the team. Although known for months, it is the first time the team admit to having agreed with the Manxman.

“If he didn’t believe in our project, he would have signed elsewhere," team manager Jerôme Pineau said in an interview with RMC Sport. "He wants to be with us. I want him to be with us but, for the moment, I’m obliged to say that he is not part of the team.”

With the signing announcement, expected for the 26th of October, postponed, there is no official reveal until today. The team was set to move with a €15 million euro budget into 2023 that would also see a women's and development team developed, however last-minute pull-out from expected partners have left the team without it's resources. Pressure quickly began to pile up.

“The future of the team is threatened but we’re staying very optimistic," Pineau continued. "It’s not just me who decides. I’m going to keep believing until the last minute. I’ve had a lot of meetings with a lot of businesses. We’re now waiting for something to come together so we can put in place a men’s team, a top-level women’s team and an academy."

Several million euros are reported to still be missing for the team to go ahead with it's initial plans. Although not impossible, as time passes it becomes more and more difficult for the French team to secure that support. In the coming two weeks however Pineau said that he will have responses from five companies on the 21st, 28th and 29th of November with concrete answers, which will be a make-or-break for the team's existence.

“If all the companies we’re waiting to hear back from say no, we’re in great danger and the team won’t survive at the level we want to be at. The budget we have today isn’t big enough for that," he concluded, still unclear on what will be of the team if it fails to secure the deals.