Good news for Girmay and co: Title sponsor Intermarché extends contract with Belgian team, providing much-needed funding

Intermarché will remain the title sponsor of the Intermarché-Wanty cycling team. The supermarket chain has committed to supporting the Belgian team, which includes riders like Biniam Girmay and Taco van der Hoorn, until at least 2028. Team manager Aike Visbeek will also be thrilled with this contract extension.

"We are incredibly pleased and proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Intermarché," said general manager Jean-François Bourlart in a press release. "This renewed partnership allows us to keep growing and build our future together. Winning and building is our vision for what lies ahead. With such a talented team and riders like Biniam Girmay, we are confident we can reach new heights."

The new agreement gives the team the opportunity to aim for the biggest goals. "Our ambition is to shine in the Grand Tours, including the Tour de France, and compete for victory in the most prestigious classics, such as Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. All united, we can achieve it." Last year, Girmay’s three stage wins in the Tour de France were the team’s only victories in Grand Tours.

Read more below the photo!

Three stage wins and the green jersey in the Tour: the absolute highlight of Intermarché-Wanty's 2024 season

New deal comes at the perfect time

Thierry Cotillard, chairman of Groupement Mousquetaires, Intermarché’s parent company, expressed his excitement about extending the partnership. "We are pleased to continue our partnership with Intermarché-Wanty in the coming seasons and to contribute to their growing international presence. We share the same values: team spirit, perseverance, and solidarity. The team made a strong impression on the 2024 Tour de France, wearing the sprinter's jersey for several weeks."

The team was urgently seeking new funding last year. "To keep working with this tight budget, for example, you have to fully invest in talent development. And make optimal use of the available potential. Exactly what we are doing," Aike Visbeek said last year. Additional funds were needed. "If not, we risk bankruptcy, unless the support from below works out perfectly and you always achieve the maximum result with the minimum number of people. But that's a nearly impossible task. So it's time for fresh money to come in." Ask, and Intermarché delivers.

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