Roompot–Charles

Roompot–Charles (UCI team code: ROC) was a Dutch UCI Professional Continental men's cycling team. The team's principal sponsor was Roompot Vakanties, a Dutch holiday company.[2] The team's first season was the 2015 cycling season, during which the team was invited to participate in UCI World Tour races including the 2015 Eneco Tour and the 2015 Tour of Flanders, as well as various other spring classics races. The team only hired Dutch cyclists, the most prominent of whom was Johnny Hoogerland.[3][4] Roompot's debut race was the 2015 Vuelta a Mallorca stage race.[5] The team's first win came in August 2015 in the Tour du Limousin, where Maurits Lammertink won a bunch sprint.

Roompot–Charles
Team information
UCI codeROC
RegisteredThe Netherlands
Founded2015 (2015)
Disbanded2019 (2019)
Discipline(s)Road
StatusUCI Professional Continental
Bicycles
  • Isaac (2015–2018)
  • Factor Bikes (2019)[1]
WebsiteTeam home page
Key personnel
General managerErik Breukink
Team name history
2015
2016
2017–2018
2019
Team Roompot
Roompot–Oranje Peloton
Team Roompot–Nederlandse Loterij
Roompot–Charles
Roompot–Charles jersey
Roompot–Charles jersey
Jersey

History

Roompot's beginnings came in the spring of 2014, when Erik Breukink, who was formerly the manager of the Dutch team Rabobank, announced that he was seeking to create a new Dutch squad to ride at the UCI Professional Continental level.[6] There were Dutch teams riding at UCI World Tour and UCI Continental levels, but none in the middle tier of professional cycling. Breukink announced his hope that the team would support the development of young Dutch riders. Other people involved in the development of the team included Michael Boogerd, Jean-Paul van Poppel and Michael Zijlaard.[7]

While the team was under development, it was known as Orange Cycling in reference to the national colour of the Netherlands. The team sought sponsorship from several companies, but most prominently from Roompot Vakanties. Another Dutch team, WorldTour team Belkin Pro Cycling, were also seeking a new title sponsor and were seen as in direct competition with Orange Cycling for the Roompot sponsorship.[8]

On 13 August 2014, it was announced that Roompot had decided to sponsor the Orange Cycling project, apparently in part because the intention only to sign Dutch riders matched Roompot's marketing strategy.[6] The following day, the team announced its first rider, Johnny Hoogerland, who had previously ridden for another Dutch team, Vacansoleil–DCM.[4]

The team was launched on 2 January 2015, at the Six Days of Rotterdam. The launch gave prominence to the squad's Dutch identity, including the return of orange cycling jerseys, traditionally the colour of the Rabobank team.[9] Breukink announced that the team would race for the first time at the Vuelta a Mallorca, and was considering the possibility of applying to participate in the 2015 Vuelta a España.[10]

The team made its debut at the 2015 Trofeo Santanyi-Ses Salines-Campos, part of the Vuelta a Mallorca. Raymond Kreder finished in sixth place.[11] He also took the team's next top 10 result: ninth place in the 2015 Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne.[12] Kreder finished in third place on the final stage of the 2015 Volta ao Algarve, but he was relegated to the back of the group for improper sprinting.[13]

Roompot's first top-ten results of the spring classics season came in Drenthe, with fourth place for Jesper Asselman in the Ronde van Drenthe and ninth place for Wesley Kreder the following day in the Dwars door Drenthe. André Looij also finished fourth in the Handzame Classic.

In the 2015 Eneco Tour, Asselman spent two days in the breakaway and picked up bonus seconds that put him in the race lead. This was the first time that any Roompot rider had led any UCI-ranked race.[14] The following week, the team won its first ever victory: Maurits Lammertink won a bunch sprint on the final stage of the Tour du Limousin. This was followed the same day by the team's second victory through Dylan Groenewegen in the Arnhem–Veenendaal Classic.

For the 2016 season, Roompot signed Pieter Weening from Orica–GreenEDGE, a rider who had won three grand tour stages in the past. He attributed his decision to sign for the team to its Dutch identity; it was also suggested that the team may receive a wildcard entry for the 2016 Giro d'Italia, which starts in the Netherlands.[15]

In August 2018 it was announced that the team would merge with the Vérandas Willems–Crelan team for the 2019 season under the name Roompot–Crelan,[16] which later became Roompot–Charles.

Final team roster

As of 24 January 2019.[17]
Rider Date of birth
 Jesper Asselman (NED) (1990-03-12) 12 March 1990
 Lars Boom (NED) (1985-12-30) 30 December 1985
 Sean De Bie (BEL) (1991-10-03) 3 October 1991
 Mathias De Witte (BEL) (1993-03-29) 29 March 1993
 Huub Duyn (NED) (1984-09-01) 1 September 1984
 Maurits Lammertink (NED) (1990-08-31) 31 August 1990
 Senne Leysen (BEL) (1996-03-18) 18 March 1996
 Arjen Livyns (BEL) (1994-09-01) 1 September 1994
 Elmar Reinders (NED) (1992-03-14) 14 March 1992
Rider Date of birth
 Oscar Riesebeek (NED) (1992-12-23) 23 December 1992
 Stijn Steels (BEL) (1989-08-21) 21 August 1989
 Justin Timmermans (NED) (1996-09-25) 25 September 1996
 Nick van der Lijke (NED) (1991-09-23) 23 September 1991
 Sjoerd van Ginneken (NED) (1992-11-06) 6 November 1992
 Boy van Poppel (NED) (1988-01-18) 18 January 1988
 Jan-Willem van Schip (NED) (1994-08-20) 20 August 1994
 Michael Van Staeyen (BEL) (1988-08-13) 13 August 1988
 Pieter Weening (NED) (1981-04-05) 5 April 1981

Major wins

References

  1. Kerkhof, Michael (29 November 2018). "Nieuwe kleding voor Roompot-Charles" [New clothes for Roompot-Charles]. Fiets (in Dutch). New Skool Media. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  2. "Orange Cycling secure two-year sponsorship from Roompot Vakanties". Cyclingnews.com. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  3. "News shorts: Solovey signs for Astana-Acca Due O, Roompot secure Classics invitations". Cyclingnews.com. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  4. "Hoogerland becomes first rider to sign for Roompot Orange". Cyclingnews.com. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  5. Bos, Johann (29 January 2015). "Debuut voor Team Roompot in Challenge Ciclista Mallorca". wielertours.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  6. Vergouwen, Thomas (13 August 2014). "The Continental Pro cycling team Orange Cycling will be sponsored by Roompot Vakanties". Velowire. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  7. Cossins, Peter (11 June 2014). "Breukink "hopeful" about new Dutch team". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  8. "Belkin and Orange Cycling await Roompot Vakanties' sponsorship decision". Cyclingnews.com. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  9. "Maak kennis met Roompot, 100% oranje". Sporza.be (in Dutch). 3 January 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  10. "Gallery: Team Roompot presented in Rotterdam". Cyclingnews.com. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  11. "Trofeo Santanyi-Ses Salines-Campos – Classic". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  12. "Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne 2015 - Classic". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  13. Grandi, Stefano (22 February 2015). "Giro Algarve: Tappa a Greipel, corsa a Thomas" (in Italian). Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  14. "Eneco Tour: succes voor Roompot" [Eneco Tour: success for Roompot]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  15. "Weening tekent bij ploeg Boogerd" [Weening signs for Boogerd's team]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  16. Brown, Gregor (30 August 2018). "Veranda's Willems-Crelan and Roompot-NL Loterij to merge and ride as Roompot-Crelan for 2019". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  17. Kerkhof, Michael (5 October 2018). "Lammertink en Van Poppel maken Roompot-Charles compleet" [Lammertink and Van Poppel complete Roompot-Charles]. Fiets (in Dutch). New Skool Media. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
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