Circus-Wanty Gobert will take over CCC’s WorldTour license
Circus-Wanty Gobert will take over Continuum Sports, which owns and runs the CCC team, both squads announced on Tuesday.
The move is set to propel Circus-Wanty Gobert, which has ridden at the ProTeam or Pro Continental level since 2011, to the WorldTour, pending approval from the UCI.
“2020 has not been the year that any of us expected but we are motivated to finish the season as CCC Team on a high,” Continuum Sports president Jim Ochowicz said. “Looking ahead, 2021 will see a new direction for the Continuum Sports organization and we are happy to be paving the way for Circus – Wanty Gobert to move to the WorldTour in what is a significant milestone for the Belgian team and a well deserved promotion.”
The CCC news marks an end to the CCC team’s lengthy search for a new sponsor after Polish footwear brand CCC announced in April that it would be ending its arrangement with the squad at the end of 2020. CCC had signed a deal to sponsor the team through 2021 but financial difficulties amid the coronavirus crisis led the brand to back out of its commitment.
Ochowicz spent the past several months looking for a new partner but was apparently unsuccessful in his search.
“Since the inception of Continuum Sports in 2007, we have made our mark on the cycling world with BMC Racing Team and CCC Team and we are well positioned to assist Circus – Wanty Gobert in this transition to the WorldTour,” Ochowicz said. “With ambitious long-term goals and a shared vision, we believe Circus – Wanty Gobert, under the leadership of [general manager] Jean-François Bourlart, is an ideal fit to carry on the Continuum Sports legacy and we are in a position to support their efforts where needed.”
Most of the CCC team’s top riders – including Greg Van Avermeat, Matteo Trentin, and Ilnur Zakarin – had already signed contracts with new teams for next season, but what the Circus-Wanty Gobert takeover means for those who had not remains unclear.
The post Circus-Wanty Gobert will take over CCC’s WorldTour license appeared first on CyclingTips.