It was quite something when in 2025, Rabobank announced it would be a sponsor of Dutch superteam Visma \u2013 Lease a Bike. The bank also began sponsoring the national team.<\/p>\n
Visma \u2013 Lease a Bike is one of the oldest teams in pro cycling, beginning in 1984 as Kwantum\u2013Decosol\u2013Yoko. Rabo was a main sponsor for the men\u2019s team for 16 years, from 1996 to 2012. However, its sponsorship ended quite\u2026abruptly.<\/p>\n
Rabobank and cycling<\/p>\n
Rabobank ended its professional cycling sponsorship in 2012 after the Lance Armstrong doping scandal and everything that followed. \u201cWe are not convinced that the cycling world is capable of ensuring a clean and fair sport,\u201d Rabobank stated at the time.<\/p>\n
It kept funding the team but chose not to have its name on the jerseys. The squad raced as Team Blanco in plain white kits.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a while, but it was quite something to see the long-running cycling sponsor back on the kit\u2013it\u2019s not the main sponsor, you can see it on the side of the riders\u2019 jerseys and on hats, but it\u2019s still there.
With the news that Visma was on the hunt for a new title sponsor, Rabobank seemed like a natural fit, given its history.<\/p>\n
Rabobank responds<\/p>\n
Speculation intensified after Rabobank CEO Stefaan Decraene and board member Carlo van Kemenade were in Rome to celebrate Jonas Vingegaard\u2019s Giro d\u2019Italia victory. Decraene later described the success as a \u201cfantastic achievement\u201d built on teamwork and said Rabobank was proud to be part of the team\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n
However, Van Kemenade dismissed suggestions that the bank is preparing to replace Visma as a main sponsor. Speaking recently to WielerFlits<\/a>, he said Rabobank is not discussing that possibility but remains enthusiastic about its current partnership with the squad.<\/p>\n