Unibet.com Cycling Team
Encyclopedia
Cycle Collstrop was a Swedish
UCI Professional Continental cycling team
. It was the successor to Unibet.com, which was mainly sponsored by the online gambling
website
Unibet.com and as a continuation of the MrBookmaker.com cycling team. The team rode on the European Continental Circuit
, until the beginning of the 2007 season, when they were granted a ProTour licence. In 2008, they were awarded a Professional Continental licence. The new team was led by Steffen Wesemann
, and problems previously experienced through having had sponsorship from a betting company were avoided with new sponsorship from a wooden flooring company.
Unibet.com had also been drawn into the Operación Puerto doping investigation
. The cyclist Carlos Quesada was named by the Spanish authorities as a patient of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes
and was suspended by the team . Although Quesada had been named, he has not yet been formally charged with doping, which led to the management of Unibet.com to lift its suspension of Quesada two weeks after it was imposed. Nevertheless, the team did not pay the Spanish cyclist his salary, which led to a lawsuit, finally resolved with Quesada leaving the team in exchange for a compensation.
The team, whose sponsors have pulled out of cycling, failed to submit its application for renewal by the 20 November 2007 deadline and did not be take part in the 2008 UCI ProTour
. Many of the team members went to the newly formed team Vacansoleil.
race, Amaury Sport Organisation
, argued that French law bans gambling companies (except for Française des Jeux and PMU
, as well as some casinos). Nevertheless, Unibet.com took part in the French races GP La Marseillaise
and Étoile de Bessèges
with special jerseys without their sponsor's name.
RCS
also snubbed Unibet.com for the Tirreno–Adriatico, explaining that Italian gambling law required a special license for Unibet
. However, as the Unibet.com management pointed out, Unibet did have the license, while Predictor-Lotto's sponsor (the Belgian
national lottery) did not, but the Belgian squad was allowed to race on Italian
soil. RCS further contradicted themselves when they later invited Unibet.com to Milan – San Remo in which Jeremy Hunt
was their best rider, finishing in 17th place, ahead of former winners such as Filippo Pozzato
or Paolo Bettini
.
However, Unibet.com was not chosen to ride in any of the three Grand Tours.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
UCI Professional Continental cycling team
Cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
. It was the successor to Unibet.com, which was mainly sponsored by the online gambling
Online gambling
Online gambling, also known as Internet gambling and iGambling, is a general term for gambling using the Internet.-Online poker:Online poker tables commonly offer Texas hold 'em, Omaha, Seven-card stud, razz, HORSE and other game types in both tournament and ring game structures...
website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
Unibet.com and as a continuation of the MrBookmaker.com cycling team. The team rode on the European Continental Circuit
UCI Continental Circuits
The UCI Continental Circuits are road bicycle racing competitions contested under the auspices of the Union Cycliste Internationale . The five circuits are inferior to the UCI ProTour. Both the ProTour and the circuits comprise a series of races in which various cycling teams compete regularly...
, until the beginning of the 2007 season, when they were granted a ProTour licence. In 2008, they were awarded a Professional Continental licence. The new team was led by Steffen Wesemann
Steffen Wesemann
Steffen Wesemann is a retired professional road racing cyclist. Wesemann most recently rode for the professional continental team Cycle Collstrop after riding a year with the Team Wiesenhof-Felt squad. He had previously spent the other years of his career at Telekom who later became Team T-Mobile...
, and problems previously experienced through having had sponsorship from a betting company were avoided with new sponsorship from a wooden flooring company.
Unibet.com had also been drawn into the Operación Puerto doping investigation
Operación Puerto doping case
Operación Puerto is the code name of a Spanish Police operation against the doping network of Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, started in May 2006, which resulted in a scandal that involved several of the world most famous cyclists at the time.Media attention has focused on the small number of...
. The cyclist Carlos Quesada was named by the Spanish authorities as a patient of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes
Eufemiano Fuentes
Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes is a Spanish sports doctor best known for being implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case.Fuentes was once an athlete. He then became the team doctor of Team ONCE, Amaya and the Kelme. The former Kelme rider Jesús Manzano accused Fuentes of being involved with doping....
and was suspended by the team . Although Quesada had been named, he has not yet been formally charged with doping, which led to the management of Unibet.com to lift its suspension of Quesada two weeks after it was imposed. Nevertheless, the team did not pay the Spanish cyclist his salary, which led to a lawsuit, finally resolved with Quesada leaving the team in exchange for a compensation.
The team, whose sponsors have pulled out of cycling, failed to submit its application for renewal by the 20 November 2007 deadline and did not be take part in the 2008 UCI ProTour
2008 UCI ProTour
The 2008 UCI ProTour is the fourth year of the UCI ProTour system. Following protracted disagreement between the organisers of the Grand Tours and the UCI, all races organized by ASO, RCS and Unipublic were withdrawn from the ProTour calendar...
. Many of the team members went to the newly formed team Vacansoleil.
Dispute with race organisers
Despite obtaining a ProTour license for the 2007 season, Unibet.com were not granted entry in Paris–Nice, the inaugural race of the series. The organiser of the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
race, Amaury Sport Organisation
Amaury Sport Organisation
The Amaury Sport Organisation is part of the French media group, EPA . It organises sporting events including the Tour de France and Paris–Nice professional cycle road races, and the Dakar Rally...
, argued that French law bans gambling companies (except for Française des Jeux and PMU
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
, as well as some casinos). Nevertheless, Unibet.com took part in the French races GP La Marseillaise
Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise
Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in February around the city of Marseille, France. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour...
and Étoile de Bessèges
Étoile de Bessèges
The Étoile de Bessèges is an early-season five-day road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Southern France, around Bessèges. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and features as one of the first stage races of the European season.-Palmarès:...
with special jerseys without their sponsor's name.
RCS
RCS
RCS may refer to:Clubs and societies*Racing Club de Strasbourg*Radcliffe Choral Society*Royal College of Science*Royal College of Surgeons*Royal Commonwealth SocietyTechnology*Radar cross-section*Radio Computing Services*Reaction control system...
also snubbed Unibet.com for the Tirreno–Adriatico, explaining that Italian gambling law required a special license for Unibet
Unibet
Unibet is an online gambling company that offers online poker, online casino, scratch cards, sports betting, live betting, bingo and soft games. The company is headquartered in Malta and owned by the Nordic OMX listed public company Unibet Group plc...
. However, as the Unibet.com management pointed out, Unibet did have the license, while Predictor-Lotto's sponsor (the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
national lottery) did not, but the Belgian squad was allowed to race on Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
soil. RCS further contradicted themselves when they later invited Unibet.com to Milan – San Remo in which Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy Hunt (cyclist)
Jeremy Hunt is a British road racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team . He is mainly a sprinter. Hunt was the British national road race champion in 1997 and in 2001....
was their best rider, finishing in 17th place, ahead of former winners such as Filippo Pozzato
Filippo Pozzato
Filippo "Pippo" Pozzato is an Italian road racing cyclist with UCI ProTour Team Katusha.-Career:...
or Paolo Bettini
Paolo Bettini
Paolo Bettini is an Italian former champion road racing cyclist, and the coach of the Italian national cycling team. Considered the best classics specialist of his generation, and probably one of the strongest of all times, he won gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics road race and in the 2006...
.
However, Unibet.com was not chosen to ride in any of the three Grand Tours.
Major results
- 1st, Nationale Sluitingprijs, (Gorik GardeynGorik GardeynGorik Gardeyn is a Belgian professional road racing cyclist currently riding for .- Cycling career :20012005-External links:*...
) - 1st, GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise, (Jeremy HuntJeremy Hunt (cyclist)Jeremy Hunt is a British road racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team . He is mainly a sprinter. Hunt was the British national road race champion in 1997 and in 2001....
) - 1st, Stage 3, Tour Down UnderTour Down UnderThe Tour Down Under is a cycling race in Adelaide, South Australia and surrounding area. The race starts on the third Tuesday of January each year and attracts riders from across Australia and the world. In 2005, the Tour Down Under was promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale to the...
, (Baden CookeBaden CookeBaden Cooke is an Australian professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team .Cooke began competitive cycling at 11. He completed secondary school at Galen College in Wangaratta, Victoria....
) - 1st, Le Samyn, (Jimmy CasperJimmy Casperthumb|leftJimmy Casper is a French professional road bicycle racer for the UCI Professional Continental team Saur-Sojasun....
) - 1st, General classificationGeneral ClassificationThe general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
, Record Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, (Jimmy Casper) - 1st, Points classificationPoints classificationThe points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
, Record Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, (Jimmy Casper) - 1st, Stage 1, Record Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, (Jimmy Casper)
- 1st, General classificationGeneral ClassificationThe general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
, Tour of IrelandTour of IrelandThe Tour of Ireland is a bicycle stage race held in August. The first race debuted in 1953 and ran until 1957. It was revived in 1965 and ran until 1985. In 1985 the 5 day Nissan International Classic took over as the Tour of Ireland. This lasted for 8 years until 1992...
, ((Stijn Vandenbourgh)) - 1st, Mountains classification, Volta a Catalunya2007 Volta a CatalunyaThe 2007 Volta a Catalunya road cycling race took place from May 21 to May 27, 2007, in Catalonia. It began in Salou with a team time trial and ends in Barcelona. The race was won by Russian Vladimir Karpets of the team, who won the race thanks to winning the team time trial, and second placings...
, (Luis PasamontesLuis PasamontesLuis Pasamontes Rodriguez is a Spanish racing cyclist with UCI ProTeam .- Palmares :* Tour de Wallonie - 1 stage, Mountains Classification & Sprints Classification...
) - 1st, Stage 8, Tour de Suisse2007 Tour de SuisseThe 2007 Tour de Suisse, the 71st edition of the cycle race, took place from June 16 until June 24. As usual, the race began with a short prologue and featured a long individual time trial. Besides, riders also had to face several mountain stages in the Swiss Alps, including the Grimselpass, a 12.1...
, (Rigoberto UranRigoberto UránRigoberto Urán Urán is a Colombian professional road racing cyclist, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .-Early life:Urán's first cycling race was at the age of 14, three months before his father was accidentally killed in a gunfight related to the drug war in Colombia...
)
Final Roster
| Name | Birthdate | Nationality | Team 2007 | Team 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borut Božič Borut Božic Borut Božič is a Slovenian professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for . Considered a sprinter in the mould of Óscar Freire, Božič's career highlights include winning the 2007 Tour de Wallonie, victory in the first stage of the 2009 Tour de Pologne , winning the sixth stage of the... |
8. August 1980 | Team L.P.R. Team L.P.R. LPR Brakes was a UCI Professional Continental cycling team, registered in Ireland. The team participated in UCI Continental Circuits races and, when selected as a wildcard, UCI ProTour events. The 2007 squad merged with Team 3C Casalinghi Jet Androni Giocattoli. The team was managed by Davide... |
Vacansoleil | |
| Tom Criel | 6. June 1983 | Unibet.com | Topsport Vlaanderen | |
| Bas Giling Bas Giling Bastiaan "Bas" Giling is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI Continental team Team Designa Køkken, having previously ridden for UCI ProTour .... |
4. November 1982 | Wiesenhof-Felt | Team Designa Køkken | |
| Michał Gołaś | 29. April 1984 | Unibet.com | Amica Chips-Knauf | |
| Sergey Kolesnikov | 3. September 1986 | Unibet.com | Moscow | |
| David Kopp David Kopp (cyclist) David Kopp is a German road racing cyclist. Kopp speciality is sprinting and the cobbled classics of Belgium.Kopp started his pro career with Team Telekom in 2001 before moving to smaller German teams for 2004 and 2005. In 2006, he returned to top level cycling with Gerolsteiner for years before... |
5. January 1979 | Team Gerolsteiner Team Gerolsteiner Gerolsteiner was a German road bicycle racing team in the UCI ProTour. It was sponsored by the mineral water company Gerolsteiner Brunnen and Specialized.... |
Elite 2 | |
| Sergey Lagutin Sergey Lagutin Sergey Lagutin is a professional road racing cyclist, currently riding for UCI Professional Continental team Vacansoleil. In 2003, Lagutin became world champion—capturing the Under-23 men's road race. He represented Uzbekistan in the men's road race at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games... |
14. January 1981 | Navigators Insurance Cycling Team Navigators Insurance Cycling Team Navigators Insurance Cycling Team was an elite road bicycle racing cycling team in the United States. Navigators focuses on USA Cycling and UCI America Tour events... |
Vacansoleil | |
| Marco Marcato Marco Marcato Marco Marcato is an Italian racing cyclist currently riding for .- Palmares :200520062007... |
11. February 1984 | Team L.P.R. Team L.P.R. LPR Brakes was a UCI Professional Continental cycling team, registered in Ireland. The team participated in UCI Continental Circuits races and, when selected as a wildcard, UCI ProTour events. The 2007 squad merged with Team 3C Casalinghi Jet Androni Giocattoli. The team was managed by Davide... |
Vacansoleil | |
| Lucas Persson | 16. March 1984 | Unibet.com Continental | Team Capinordic | |
| Matthé Pronk Matthé Pronk Matthé Pronk is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer, currently not under contract to any team.- Palmares :1996... |
1. July 1974 | Unibet.com | Vacansoleil | |
| Sergey Rudaskov | 6. August 1984 | Neo-pro | Elite 2 | |
| Mirko Selvaggi Mirko Selvaggi Mirko Selvaggi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team .-Biography:Mirko Selvaggi turned professional with the UCI Professional Continental team Cycle Collstrop in 2008 after winning stage 2 in the Giro di Toscana. In 2009, he moved to Amica Chips-Knauf... |
11. February 1985 | Neo-pro | Amica Chips-Knauf | |
| Raynold Smith | 20. November 1985 | Ex-Pro (Fondas Imabo 2005) | Elite 2 | |
| Gil Suray Gil Suray Gil Suray is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI Continental team Roubaix-Lille Metropole.- External links :... |
29. August 1984 | Unibet.com | Roubaix - Lille Metropole | |
| Kenny Van Der Schueren | 20. July 1982 | Unibet.com Continental | Palmans-Cras | |
| Troels Vinther Troels Vinther Troels Rønning Vinther is a Danish professional road bicycle racer for UCI Continental team Team Capinordic.- Palmares :2005... |
24. February 1987 | Unibet.com | Team Capinordic | |
| Steffen Wesemann Steffen Wesemann Steffen Wesemann is a retired professional road racing cyclist. Wesemann most recently rode for the professional continental team Cycle Collstrop after riding a year with the Team Wiesenhof-Felt squad. He had previously spent the other years of his career at Telekom who later became Team T-Mobile... |
11. March 1971 | Wiesenhof-Felt | Retired |