Previously a strong rumour around the end of May 2023, Parkhotel Valkenburg confirmed today that it will become VolkerWessels next season. The sponsorship deal will be for 3 seasons to begin with and secure the team’s place in the peloton until the end of the 2026 season at least. Parkhotel Valkenburg won’t be gone however but their focus will change after 14 years involvement in the pro peloton. They will allocate resources to help develop youth teams in the Limburg region where Valkenburg itself sits. By doing so, they may support a pathway that sees local riders able to move up and progress in the sport.
VolkerWessels is a global construction firm and their introduction to women’s cycling should boost the team’s budget going forward. It will also provide a wider focus potentially with the team keen to return to the Tour de France Femmes that it will miss out on in 2023. This should be a sponsorship move that’s anticipated to provide a much-needed boost to maintain competitiveness amidst escalating budgets within the cycling world. After securing mandatory invitations for most of the past few seasons, the Dutch team missed out for 2023 as other teams upped the ante to secure Women’s WorldTour spots.
“In VolkerWessels we have found a fantastic partner with whom we can not only guarantee the continued existence of the team, but also continue to build on the further development of the team.
We have had very pleasant conversations with VolkerWessels in the past period and have become very enthusiastic about the way in which the company looks at the future of (women’s) cycling and the vision they have in the field of talent development. This feels like a very good match and I am looking forward to this wonderful project”
Raymond Rol, Parkhotel Valkenburg team manager
Who are VolkerWessels?
This spring, VolkerWessels reaffirmed its commitment to fostering women’s cycling during a team presentation in Rijssen. It’s worth noting that the construction company has been sponsoring a continental men’s team for quite some time. It’s from this men’s team that cyclists like Maikel Zijlaard (now at Tudor Pro Cycling) and Bart Lemmen (now at Human Powered Health) have successfully transitioned to the professional ranks. As such, VolkerWessels’ move to sponsor a women’s team marks a promising expansion of their involvement in professional cycling.
As a company, VolkerWessels are a major European construction services business based in the Netherlands. They are currently involved in HS2 in the UK and previously helped build the FC Groningen Euroborg stadium.
