Premier Tech will no longer be a co-title sponsor for the Astana team after 2021
Premier Tech out as Astana co-sponsor, citing differences of 'vision'
After only one season as co-title sponsor of Astana-Premier Tech, Canadian company Premier Tech will leave that role at the end of 2021.
The team announced the news on Thursday, less than seven months after announcing that Premier Tech had become a co-owner of the team and would move into a co-title sponsor position after several years as a secondary sponsor of the Kazakh squad.
“Although it is disappointing for Premier Tech to end its collaboration with Kazakhstan, it has been fantastic to be involved in the project since 2017,” said Premier Tech president and CEO Jean Belanger in a press release.
“We were excited to step up as co-owner and co-title sponsor of Astana – Premier Tech at the start of the season and forge a new direction for the team alongside the Kazakh shareholders. Unfortunately, it has become clear in our ongoing discussions and planning for the future that we do not share the same vision and we have been unable to come to an agreement that works for both parties. Premier Tech is committed to the sport of cycling and will announce in the near future the next phase of its presence in the peloton and WorldTour scene.”
It is unclear what differences in “vision” have led to the impending split so soon after Premier Tech increased its investment in the partnership, but the departure of the co-title sponsor will represent another big change for a team whose longtime team principal, Alexandre Vinokourov, was dismissed from that role in June.
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