After the news broke that the merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step wouldn’t happen, another sad development has emerged. It has now been revealed that Amazon will no longer sponsor the Dutch team.
With Jumbo’s departure as the team’s sponsor, the Dutch Jumbo-Visma squad was in search of replacements. The merger with Soudal-Quick-Step has been the main story in recent weeks and appeared to be progressing well, but now it seems to be falling apart. It’s likely that the teams will continue relatively similarly to how they are currently.
Amazon withdraws sponsorship
Today, it was also announced by the Dutch newspaper AD that Amazon is withdrawing its sponsorship. The exact reason for the withdrawal is not clear. Additionally, Soudal remains loyal to Patrick Lefevere’s team and Czech billionaire Zdenek Bakala. The Jumbo supermarket chain still plans to end its role as the main sponsor of Jumbo-Visma at the end of 2024.
PON is the alternative for the Dutch team
According to sources, PON would be the alternative and would become the naming sponsor. PON is a Dutch multinational that operates as a bicycle manufacturer and importer of various car brands. It’s one of the largest Dutch companies, with an annual turnover of 7.5 billion euros and over 12,000 employees. PON includes Cervélo, the bicycle supplier of Jumbo-Visma, and Škoda, which would provide the cars.