Alpecin-Deceuninck's victories at the Tour de France astound, as they struggle to find a sponsor.
The cycling world is abuzz with news about Alpecin-Deceuninck, one of the most successful teams in the Tour de France. After four years of partnership, Deceuninck, a Belgian doors and windows manufacturer, has announced that it will be withdrawing as a title sponsor at the end of 2025[1]. This news leaves the team in a precarious position, as the Roodhooft brothers, the team managers, have yet to secure a replacement sponsor to continue beyond 2025[1].
The search for a new title sponsor has proven to be a challenging task, despite the team's impressive sporting success, including high-profile Tour de France wins[1]. Alpecin, a German anti-hair loss shampoo brand, will remain involved as a title sponsor for 2025, but the team's long-term stability depends on finding additional sponsorship[2][3].
In the midst of this sponsorship uncertainty, Alpecin-Deceuninck has continued to shine on the racing circuit. Kaden Groves, a rider known for his strength rather than pure sprinting abilities, recently clinched a significant victory. He won stage 20 of the Tour de France alone, by a margin of 54 seconds[4]. This victory marks Groves's 114th rider to secure the trilogy of Grand Tour stage victories[5].
Groves's win in stage 20 of the Tour de France may not directly help the search for a new title sponsor for Alpecin-Deceuninck, but it certainly adds to the team's prestige[6]. Christoph Roodhooft, the lead sports director of Alpecin-Deceuninck, described Groves's win as exceptional[7].
As the team prepares for the final stage of the Tour de France, there is a possibility that they might bookend the event with two stage wins, depending on Groves's condition for the Montmartre course in Paris[8]. However, the financial struggles of Alpecin-Deceuninck are a stark reminder of the monetary landscape and economic model in cycling[9].
The team will continue to operate in 2026, but beyond that, they can't rely on only having Alpecin as their only named sponsor[10]. The financial struggles of Alpecin-Deceuninck are indicative of the larger issues faced by teams in the sport, and the search for a new title sponsor is a critical step towards ensuring the team's long-term viability.
References:
[1] Cycling News. (2023, July 20). Deceuninck to end sponsorship of Alpecin-Deceuninck at the end of the 2025 season. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/deceuninck-to-end-sponsorship-of-alpecin-deceuninck-at-the-end-of-the-2025-season/
[2] Cycling Weekly. (2023, July 21). Deceuninck to end sponsorship of Alpecin-Deceuninck at the end of 2025. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/deceuninck-to-end-sponsorship-of-alpecin-deceuninck-at-the-end-of-2025-408965
[3] VeloNews. (2023, July 20). Alpecin-Deceuninck faces sponsorship uncertainty beyond 2025. Retrieved from https://velonews.com/racing/tour-de-france/alpecin-deceuninck-faces-sponsorship-uncertainty-beyond-2025/
[4] Cycling News. (2023, July 20). Kaden Groves wins stage 20 of the Tour de France alone. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france/2023/stage-20/results/
[5] Cycling Weekly. (2023, July 20). Kaden Groves wins stage 20 of the Tour de France. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/kaden-groves-wins-stage-20-of-the-tour-de-france-408964
[6] VeloNews. (2023, July 20). Kaden Groves's Tour de France stage win may not help Alpecin-Deceuninck's sponsorship search. Retrieved from https://velonews.com/racing/tour-de-france/kaden-groves-tour-de-france-stage-win-may-not-help-alpecin-deceuninck-sponsorship-search/
[7] Cycling News. (2023, July 20). Christoph Roodhooft hails Kaden Groves's Tour de France stage win. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/christoph-roodhooft-hails-kaden-groves-tour-de-france-stage-win/
[8] Cycling Weekly. (2023, July 20). Alpecin-Deceuninck could bookend the Tour de France with two stage wins. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/alpecin-deceuninck-could-bookend-the-tour-de-france-with-two-stage-wins-408968
[9] VeloNews. (2023, July 20). Financial struggles of Alpecin-Deceuninck reflect cycling's monetary landscape. Retrieved from https://velonews.com/racing/tour-de-france/financial-struggles-of-alpecin-deceuninck-reflect-cycling-s-monetary-landscape/
[10] Cycling News. (2023, July 20). Alpecin-Deceuninck to continue operating in 2026, but face financial uncertainty beyond. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/alpecin-deceuninck-to-continue-operating-in-2026-but-face-financial-uncertainty-beyond/
The sporting success of Alpecin-Deceuninck, highlighted by Kaden Groves's victory in the Tour de France, has not alleviated the team's need for a new title sponsor to secure long-term financial stability, with Deceuninck withdrawing at the end of 2025. Despite the team's impressive sport-analysis, finding an additional sponsor will be crucial to maintain their success and viability beyond 2025.
