Dutch bank signs three-and-a-half-year deal, marking historic return to two-wheeler world after nearly a decade of absence
Remember Rabobank ? The sponsor is set to return to the cycling world in the coming weeks, joining forces with the Visma-Lease a Bike team through a three-and-a-half-year agreement.
The Dutch bank, present in 35 countries and with a net profit of 5,163 million euros in 2024, thus re-embraces its 'old love', as Stefaan Decraene, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rabobank, defined it.
A return to the origins
Rabobank is certainly not a new name in cycling. From 1996 to 2012, the bank was the main sponsor of one of the top teams on the men’s World Tour, before withdrawing following doping controversies. However, it remained involved in women’s cycling until 2016, helping to create one of the strongest teams in the world.
A glorious past
During its previous era in cycling, Rabobank had some of the biggest names in cycling on its team . In the women's sector, champions such as Marianne Vos, Anna van der Breggen and Annemiek van Vleuten . In the men's sector, the team has seen stars such as Robbie McEwen, Oscar Freire and launched talents such as Michael Matthews and Wilco Kelderman.
New start from July 1st
The partnership, which will start on 1 July 2025, will see Rabobank branding featured on the jerseys of the men's, women's and development teams. The bank will also be involved in the Ready2Race programme, an initiative aimed at introducing young people to cycling.
“This partnership demonstrates how much cycling has evolved in recent years,” commented Richard Plugge, CEO of Visma -Lease a Bike, underlining how this collaboration represents an important step forward for the future of the sport.
