Former Team Sky rider Łukasz Wiśniowski: ‘I was sure they would continue for the next few years’
The Classics specialist says he believes team bosses will find a new sponsor
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Former Team Sky rider Łukasz Wiśniowski says he was not expecting the news that their main sponsor would be pulling out at the end of 2019.
The Polish pro added that he’s confident team bosses will find a new backer.
Wiśniowski rode for with the British WorldTour outfit for two seasons but has moved to the new CCC Team for 2019.
>>> Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas target Tour de France as Egan Bernal leads team at Giro d’Italia
The 27-year-old told Cycling Weekly: “[The news] surprised me.
“I was pretty sure the team would continue, not forever but for the next few years.
“It was not great news for the cycling world.
“I’m happier when we have more riders, more sponsors, more teams. That’s better for all of us.”
But Wiśniowski added: “I’m pretty sure that [Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford] will find another sponsor for the team.”
Team Sky announced in December that their long-time sponsor, broadcasting company Sky, will be pulling out at the end of the coming season.
The team said that that the outfit will continue under a new name, if a backer can be found.
Sky’s involvement with cycling came into doubt earlier this year when the company was bought by American communication giant Comcast.
The company’s chairman James Murdoch, a driving force in Sky’s cycling sponsorship, departed shortly after.
Wiśniowski, who joined the WorldTour with Quick-Step in 2015, joined Sky in 2017.
>>> Sir Bradley Wiggins: ‘If Team Sky fold the sport will be worse off’
He finished second in the 2018 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, followed by an eighth in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne the following day.
On why he opted to join Polish WorldTour team CCC from Sky, Wiśniowski said: “I think mainly here I have the chance to try my own races, try to be the leader in races.
“I will be the guy who can get some results and also I will be able to start in one of the Grand Tours.
“For me it was not possible to be in a Grand Tour with Team Sky next year, maybe the Classics but I would like to do a Grand Tour."
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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