Arkéa’s disappearance is a warning sign, says director Hubert: "Something has to change, or we’ll go under"

Hubert had been with the team since 2010, when it was still riding at continental level as Bretagne-Schuller. “After twenty years, it's always heartbreaking,” he expressed his sadness about the disappearance of his team to RMC. “It's personally heartbreaking for me, but I can't help thinking about my 150 colleagues. We are a family. We live more with each other than with our own families.”

In June, it became clear that both Arkéa and B&B Hotels would stop supporting the team, meaning that both main sponsors were lost. “It's always a complex situation. It's never easy, but that's just how it is. With a contract, you know when it starts and when it ends. The goal was to find one, two, or three partners, and today that is no longer the case.”

The search for replacements came to nothing, even though at times it looked like things were going to work out. “The last few weeks have been quite complicated, because things went from red to almost green, and it's always heartbreaking when you get negative feedback. At one point, there were two or three candidates in the final, and even about ten during the year who were very keen on cycling, but things never fell into place.”

Hubert mourns the loss of his beloved project and for the riders and staff who are facing difficulties due to the change. But that is not the only problem the Frenchman sees. The cycling world is changing. Large teams are getting bigger, and smaller teams are getting smaller. Teams such as Intermarché-Wanty and Wagner Bazin WB had to merge or even close their doors.

The Frenchman sees a pattern and fears for the future of the sport. “Cycling is currently suffering from such an exponential form, with large teams taking us to other places. Perhaps at some point the UCI will also have to draw up legislation regarding salary caps. I don't know in what form, but something has to be done, otherwise we will go under.”