Michael Rasmussen and personal sponsor Christina Hembo are set to announce his new team today, speaking to the media in a press conference at noon and elaborating on yesterday’s news that an existing Continental team has been purchased and will be the basis for the new squad.
Rasmussen was known to be in talks for several months with Saxo Bank SunGard team owner Bjarne Riis. It was generally anticipated that a deal would be done, but Riis then announced last month that he had no place for the Danish climber.
Rasmussen said afterwards that he was very disappointed, believing that a deal was set to be done. Hembo was set to pay his wages, meaning that his signature wouldn’t have cost Riis anything financially.
The position is still the same, but Riis said yesterday that he hopes that things go well for the climber. “It’s good for him that he gets back on the road and rides some races again. We do not yet know which team it is, so we’ll see, but in any case he gets the opportunity to show what he can. Then we’ll see what it can lead to in the long term,” he told Sporten.dk.
“I’ve always said that I think Michael deserves the chance to come back, and I still think that. Therefore it is also just to say congratulations to him and good luck.”
Rasmussen is likely to have mixed feelings about Riis’ statement. He’s got a team, but the fact that it will have a Continental licence means that he will be limited in what races he is able to ride. It’s very much a plan B, but he’ll make the most of it.
Yesterday’s statement from Hembo’s company provided the outline of what will happen. “Christina Design London informs, that Danish watch designer and owner of Christina Design London, Christina Hembo today has bought 100 % of an UCI registered Continental team, inclusive all rider contracts. New team captain as per today is double Tour De France King of the Mountains, Michael Rasmussen. In the coming weeks and months, the team will be further strengthened.
“At the same time, Christina’s team will change its name from ”Christina Racing” to ”Christina Watches”. In Danish as well as International press, Christina has often been referred to as ”jewellery designer” which is wrong. Christina is Watch designer, and the new name reflects this fact more clearly.”
The Danish media has been speculating about the identity of the team and, according to TV2, a possible match has been made. It spoke to four existing Danish teams, namely Glud & Marstrand – LRO Consulting, Team Energi Fyn, Team Concordia and Stenca Trading/Team Bianchi. The first three have all denied a link with Hembo, while the fourth wouldn’t state either way.
“I have no comments. Not until tomorrow…no comment,” directeur sportif David Dahl Madsen said. That squad is not yet a Continental team, and so this may rule it out. Interestingly, Continental team Team Designa Køkken - Blue Water stopped at the end of the season, freeing up most of its riders.
Whichever the squad, Riis said that it is good that Hembo will get to have a team competing under the Christina Watches title in 2011. “She likes Michael, but it is also business for her. And it is only fair that she is also doing it to get something out of it,” he stated.