Goodbye Project 1t4i, hello Team Argos-Shimano
The Dutch Project 1t4i squad has announced a new lead sponsor and a new name - Team Argos-Shimano.
Argos North Sea Group, a mineral oil and energy company, has inked a three-year deal to sponsor the Professional Continental-level squad. Argos's headquarters are in Rotterdam.
Component manufacturer resumes its position as secondary sponsor - the team rode as Skil-Shimano up to the end of the 2011 season.
Peter Goedvolk, CEO of Argos North Sea Group, said: "I am convinced that sponsoring this talented and ambitious cycling team is the best way to draw European consumers' attention to the Argos brand and thereby realize our growth ambitions better and quicker."
German sprinting talent Marcel Kittel is currently the team's hottest property, having won two stages of the Tour of Oman, a stage of Etoile de Bessèges and a stage of the Three Days of De Panne so far this season. Kittel said earlier this week that he is aiming for stage wins at the Tour de France, should the team receive a wildcard invite.
Argos-Shimano's next race in the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.
The team are currently in eighth spot in the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) EuropeTour rankings for 2012. Last year, Skil-Shimano finished the season second overall behind FDJ.
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The women's team will be known as Team Skil-Argos.
Team Argos-Shimano 2012 roster
Thomas Bonnin
Regina Bruins
Roy Curvers
Thomas Damuseau
Bert De Backer
Suzanne de Goede
Koen de Kort
Anne de Wildt
John Degenkolb
Yukihiro Doi
Tom Dumoulin
Johannes Fröhlinger
Alexandre Geniez
Simon Geschke
Patrick Gretsch
Yann Huguet
Thierry Hupond
Cheng Ji
Janneke Kanis
Marcel Kittel
Dominic Klemme
Roger Kluge
Tobias Ludvigsson
Kelly Markus
Amy Pieters
Ramon Sinkeldam
Matthieu Sprick
Tom Stamsnijder
Albert Timmer
Esra Tromp
Monique van de Ree
Linda van Rijen
Ronan van Zandbeek
Tom Veelers
Adrie Visser
Related links
Kittel: Today De Panne, tomorrow Champs Elysees
Tour of Flanders 2012: The Big Preview
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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.