Hitec Products-Fluid Control will close at the end of 2026 after 18 seasons in women’s professional cycling, with team manager Karl Lima confirming that a lack of funding has made it impossible for the Norwegian squad to continue. The decision brings to an end one of the longest-running projects in the women’s peloton and removes a development route that has helped Norwegian riders reach the sport’s highest level.
In a statement published through the team’s X account on Monday, 2 November, Hitec Products-Fluid Control said: “After 18 seasons, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the end of Hitec Products Fluid Control.” The team was unequivocal about the reason: “Unfortunately, a lack of funding means that we are no longer able to continue.”
The announcement did not identify a particular departing sponsor, reveal the size of the funding gap or set out any plans to revive the programme under a different name. It should therefore be treated as a confirmed closure, rather than a search for additional backing or a temporary suspension.
111 riders and 47 Norwegians since 2009
Founded for the 2009 season, Hitec Products gave 111 riders a place in the squad across its 18 seasons, including 47 Norwegians, according to the team’s farewell statement. Lima said the programme had provided young female cyclists with opportunities to compete internationally and develop towards the next stage of their careers.
The organisation underwent several changes of name while retaining the Hitec connection for most of its history. It raced as Hitec Products-UCK in its early seasons, became Hitec Products-Birk Sport from 2018 and then joined forces with the Coop organisation as Team Coop-Hitec Products. Its later years included the Team Coop-Repsol identity before the Hitec Products-Fluid Control name returned for 2026.
The names on its former rider lists demonstrate the breadth of that history. Emma Johansson, Elisa Longo Borghini, Kirsten Wild, Chloe Hosking and Lisa Brennauer all spent time with Hitec during their careers. Johansson was a particularly prolific winner for the team, while Longo Borghini’s early seasons there helped establish her on the international stage. ProCyclingUK’s history of Hitec Products traces the successive squads and names in more detail.
Financial pressures have threatened the team before
The closure comes eight years after another serious funding crisis. In May 2018, Hitec Products-Birk Sport appealed for donations after a major sponsor withdrew its backing during the season. At the time, the team launched a crowdfunding campaign targeting €50,000 to help cover the costs of completing its racing programme.
That episode demonstrated how vulnerable even an established squad could be to the loss of a backer. The team continued for another eight seasons, but the latest announcement confirms that it has not been able to secure the resources needed to race in 2027. No further financial breakdown was provided by Lima or the team.
Norwegian development pathway loses an established team
Hitec’s contribution extended beyond the riders who won major international races in its colours. In recent years, the squad helped develop riders including Ingvild Gåskjenn, Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset and Caroline Andersson before they moved into Women’s WorldTour programmes.
The 2026 season offered further examples of that pathway. Teenager Oda Aune Gissinger won a stage of the BIWASE Tour of Vietnam and a stage of the Tour de Féminin while riding for Hitec. She has already secured a four-year contract with Uno-X Mobility from 2027, underlining the opportunities the Norwegian team continued to create in its final season.
Other 2026 results included Magdalene Lind’s stage victory at the BIWASE Tour of Vietnam and Alma Walther Møller Rasmussen’s overall win at the BIWASE Cup. The squad also took part in races on the Women’s WorldTour calendar, despite competing at Continental level.
The closure leaves riders and staff needing to make plans for next season, although the team has not announced individual contract outcomes or destinations. Some departures were already confirmed before the news, including April Tacey’s move to Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team.
In his farewell, Lima thanked the riders, staff and sponsors who had supported the programme and reiterated the importance of opportunities for young Norwegian cyclists. “The talent is there,” he said, expressing the hope that the country’s future riders would still have the platforms needed to develop and reach the highest level.
