Multum Accountants has announced on Facebook that it will close at the end of the 2022 season. The team originally planned to not renew its UCI Continental team licence and run as a ‘club team’ in 2023. This potentially would have an impact on the races that it could take part in, for instance, it wouldn’t be able to take part in any major Women’s WorldTour races. The team had agreed on an increase in budget for 2023 and a number of riders to try and place themselves in a position to win races rather than just take part in WWT races with no results.
“Given the status quo in terms of results in the WWT and 1.1-Pro competitions by our team, the idea was born to forgo our UCI status – partly due to savings – and to set up a well-structured club team in 2023. In fact a UCI team without a UCI logo. A well-equipped team of ten riders, formed by the team players of 2022 and some reinforcements.
By racing at a lower level, the group atmosphere would improve and motivated riders perform better. We didn’t want riders with pros and a newbie mentality, but action! A few sponsors made an extra contribution for the next two years and agreed with this course of action: step back and reorganise. But as soon as the word club team came up, most of our ‘chosen ones’ chose the flight. Photos on social media were already widely shared, before we could be informed.
Due to the lack of confidence and time to look for new decent riders, we have decided in consultation with Multum Accountants that the new club team will not continue. As a result, our cycling adventure will end after twelve years on December 31. This is unfortunate for the riders who still believed in us. In those twelve years we have mostly amused ourselves, thinking that we have contributed – however relatively small – to women’s cycling.”
Jos Coolens, leader of Multum Accountants Cycling Team
The team was one of the longest-running in the women’s peloton, originally racing under the name of Autoglas Wetteren. After racing for 8 seasons, they made the jump to UCI Continental level in 2020. A number of strong riders have been through the team, including Sara Mustonen, Laura Sussemilch, Marion Norbert Riberolle, Ann-Sophie Duyck, Thalita de Jong, Stine Borgli and Anna Badegruber. This year the likes of Sara Maes (U23 Belgian champion), Fien Delbaere and Mareille Meijering.
