Vacansoleil presents DCM as co-sponsor for three years

The Dutch Vacansoleil team has announced the signing of Belgian fertiliser producer DCM as co-sponsor for the next three years; from 2011 the team will be called Vacansoleil-DCM. The company was formed in 1976, and develops and produces “high quality and reliable plant feeds for professional gardening”.

According to the team’s general manager Daan Luijkx: “the products of DCM and Vacansoleil are just like bikes, which also stand for enjoying the outdoor life.

“The team and DCM are growing quickly and want to stimulate the growth of both companies with this cooperation,” Luijkx continued. “The international character of the team fits the market of this company and DCM is very innovative in his branch. That they consider the team a good marketing tool is a compliment for the achievements of the cyclists, staff and for the ambitions of the main sponsor Vacansoleil in the past one and a half years.”

Vacansoleil-DCM has submitted an application to become a ProTeam, the new name for the International Cycling Union (UCI) top level ProTour. There are currently eight vacant spots to be filled for the 2011 season, and yesterday the UCI released a list of ten teams bidding for them; there are expected to be at least two more applications, meaning there will be twelve teams aiming at eight places.

As part of its campaign to secure a seat at cycling’s top table the team has been making a number of high profile signings; although Spanish rider Ezequiel Mosquera was declared non-negative for Hydroxyethyl starch after finishing second in the Vuelta a España, and Riccardo Riccò has allegedly been linked to an Italian doping ring recently.

This season Vacansoleil has applied to race in all the Grand Tours but has been disappointed each time, despite both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France starting in the Netherlands cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam respectively. With ProTeam status, the team would be guaranteed an invitation, and would also be required to ride.