Belgian telecoms company Belgacom has officially announced that it will not be part of the new team set up by Lotto next year, according to Het Nieuwsblad. Lotto, the trading name for the Belgian national lottery, announced last month that it would be splitting from current co-sponsor Omega Pharma at the end of the season and looking for potential partners for a new Belgian cycling project.
The asking price of 4.5 million Euros was apparently too much to ask of Belgacom though.
"That's too large an amount compared to all of our sponsorship activities," said Jan Margot, spokesman for Belgacom. "We reach the sport of cycling through all other channels: mountain bike, the Gazet van Antwerpen (GvA) Trophy in cyclocross and personal sponsorship of [top cyclocross rider] Sven Nys."
Since Lotto announced that the two sponsors are to go their separate ways at the end of the year, Omega Pharma has confirmed that it will remain with the current team, becoming sole sponsor if necessary. What is not clear yet, is what will happen to many of the team’s biggest stars, like Classics king Philippe Gilbert; Omega Pharma has stated that it wants to keep hold of him, but he is out of contract at the end of the season and so may be lured to the new team.
Although the possible deal with Belgacom is now off, Lotto still is reportedly in discussion with other potential partners, including employment agency Adecco. The two sponsored the team that has become Omega Pharma-Lotto together between 2000 and 2002, winning such races as the Ronde van Vlaanderen with Andre Tchmil, la Flèche Wallonne with Rik Verbrugge and Mario Aerts, the Omloop Het Volk with Peter Van Petegem, and a multitude of races with Robbie McEwen.