Bad news for the French racing team Arkéa - B&B HotelsThe two main sponsors are ending their commitment at the end of 2024, and the team from Brittany is threatened with extinction. The team announced this in a press release dated 24 June 2025. "Team Arkéa - B&B Hotels has been informed by its two title sponsors that the contracts, which end on 31 December 2025, will not be renewed. In a tense financial climate in cycling, Emmanuel Hubert and his team will do their utmost to actively seek new partners," the statement reads.
Loss of World Tour licence imminent
Team boss Emmanuel Hubert had been expecting the withdrawal of sponsors for some time, but now it has been officially confirmed. The team led by top French rider Kévin Vauquelin, who recently finished second overall in the Tour de Suisse, must now make itself attractive to new sponsors very quickly. For this year's Tour de France (5 to 27 July 2025) the racing team from Brittany had already qualified thanks to its World Tour licence. The race through their home country of France is likely to be a bidding round in front of potential sponsors. However, the team is not in a particularly good position for the future: top rider Vauquelin is rumoured to be on the move to one of the top international teams. The team is also threatened with losing its World Tour licence at the end of the year, which entitles it to compete in the most important cycling races, including the Tour de France. Only the 18 best teams in the Ranking list for the years 2023 to 2025 qualify for the highest international licence, which is always issued for three years. Arkéa - B&B Hotels is in 21st place before the start of the tour, almost 3000 points behind Team Picnic-Post NL, which is currently in 18th place. The second-tier teams Lotto (Belgium), Israel - Premier Tech (Israel) and Uno X-Mobility (Norway) are also ahead of Hubert's men.
Women's and junior team also affected
Not only the men's professional team would be affected by a possible cancellation. The Women's team loses its backers, who were part of the starting field at the Tour de France Femmes and with which the Swede Emilia Fahlin and the Austrian Valentina Cavallar are under contract. The portfolio also includes the junior team Arkéa - B&B Hotels Continental Team. According to the French sports portal lequipe.fr, 141 employees, including 51 cyclists, are affected.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
