Arkéa-B&B Hotels in trouble? "Team has to let Champoussin and Albanese go"

The WorldTour team Arkéa-B&B Hotels seems to be heading towards a crisis, according to the French outlet La Télégramme. Currently, team manager Emmanuel Hubert reportedly lacks certainty about sponsorship beyond 2025, forcing some riders to leave.

The contracts with title sponsors Arkéa and B&B Hotels are set to expire in that year, and as of now, there appear to be no prospects for continuing sponsorship from these companies, according to La Télégramme. Moreover, the team’s financial problems are said to be severe enough that they need to let go of some high earners prematurely. The newspaper reports that this concerns Italian Vincenzo Albanese and Frenchman Clément Champoussin, both of whom have contracts running until the end of 2025.

The 27-year-old Albanese joined the team at the end of last year from EOLO-Kometa and is known as a capable climber with a strong sprint finish. While he only achieved a ninth-place finish in the E3 Saxo Classic among major races, Albanese did collect several podium places in lower-tier one-day races. Champoussin has been with the French team for two seasons and is regarded as an aggressive climber. This season, he delivered a victory for the team in the Giro della Toscana and also finished second in the Arctic Race of Norway.

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2025 will be crucial year for Arkéa-B&B Hotels

Although the situation at Arkéa-B&B Hotels is uncertain, it seems the team could continue for at least one more year. Without key riders Albanese and Champoussin, the team would still retain a solid lineup for 2025, featuring sprinter Arnaud Démare, Luca Mozzato, Spanish climber Christian Rodríguez and all-rounder Kevin Vauquelin, should the situation not worsen. At the end of 2025, WorldTour licenses will also be redistributed. This means that securing new funding for the team in time will be crucial for manager Hubert. To be continued, no doubt...