Michał Kwiatkowski ‘100 per cent sure’ Team Sky will find new sponsor

Michał Kwiatkowski said he is ‘100 per cent sure’ Team Sky will find a new sponsor.

The Polish star is contracted with Sky until 2020 but is being pursued by WorldTour outfit CCC Team, who are searching for a star rider.

British outfit Sky are due to lose their main backer at the end of the season, after the takeover of Sky plc by American communication giant Comcast.

The team may already have a sponsor lined up, as a sports director recently hinted that an announcement could be made ahead of the Giro d’Italia in May.

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Kwiatkowski, 28, said: “Of course sponsors coming and going is part of the sport.

“It’s a pity Sky is leaving after so many great years.

“I can only ride my bike and I can only try to achieve more and more results.

“This is what I’m aiming for and hopefully this can bring a big partner to the team.

“I’m 100 per cent sure it will happen sooner or later.”

Earlier this month, Sky sports director Matteo Tosatto said a new deal with a backer could be complete by the start of the Giro.

The Italian DS said the new sponsor is not a Colombian oil firm as previously suggested, but instead will be a European company.

Sky’s pro cycling sponsorship which dates back to 2009, will come to an end after the 2019 season.

Reports emerged earlier this year suggesting that Team Sky’s new parent company Comcast could continue to part sponsor the team beyond 2019.

The company reportedly offered Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford enough cash to fund 70 per cent of the budget for the 2020 and 2021 season, giving him the opportunity to find the remainder from another sponsor.

Rumours also suggested that a merger with Pro Continental team Israel Cycling Academy could be on the cards, as Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams hopes to take his team to the Tour de France by 2020.

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Another recent report suggested Russian tycoon Oleg Tinkov had made an offer to Team Sky after he left cycling behind in 2016.

But Tinkov called the suggestion “bulls**t.”

Polish champion Kwiatkowski is being pursued by CCC Team, a WorldTour outfit from his country.

The team, formed from the remains of BMC Racing at the end of 2018, has been vocal about it’s pursuit of the Milan-San Remo winner, saying he is their “priority.”

CCC do not have a star leader for stage races after the departure of Richie Porte for Trek-Segafredo as BMC's future came into doubt.

Instead, the team look for Classics success from Greg Van Avermaet and chase stage wins elsewhere.

On his future, Kwiatkowski said: “CCC are aiming to get a leader from Poland, but for the moment I still have a contract until 2020 at Sky.

“We talk a lot about the future with the team. If everything goes well with the sponsor I’ll just do my job.

“I will try to push forward with what we are planning for next year.

“So far everything is great.”