"The only mistake of the management is that we were so dependent on one sponsor" - Black Spoke DS sighs about the team's unpleasant financial situation

There's something extremely sour about it. For four years, Bolton Equities Black Spoke built its way to the top, with the mission to get as many Kiwis as possible into the WorldTour. But just as the project is starting to bear fruit, the main sponsor is pulling out. Sports director Franky Van Haesebroucke talks about the team's future in an interview with WielerFlits.

"Our team is largely financed by one man. The New Zealand Marc Coucke, so to speak," Van Haesebroucke explains. "They are currently going through a very difficult period financially. The economy is doing poorly. The first thing they do is get rid of their toys. Be careful, the man has a sports heart, because he also sponsors an American football and rugby team. But due to the dire financial situation, he had to cut everything."

"He's even saying it now: if his finances look better in six months, he wants to free up more budget again. So you can't blame him. For four years he did everything for us and there never seemed to be a problem. But if there is no more budget, there is little you can do about it. He wants to move on, but he can't right now. The only mistake of the management is that we were so dependent on one sponsor."

"We don't want to give up the structure anyway. We spent four years building this. The logistics, with a team house, buses, trucks, cars, you don't just throw that away. The intention is to make a fresh start. At least, we are working hard on that and we are already negotiating with some potential sponsors. As a continental team you get a little more time from the UCI. So I really hope that things will turn out well. Otherwise we may have to take a year off and continue to work hard to return from 2025."