French professional team B&B Hotels - Vital Concepts will be operating as B&B Hotels starting with the 2021 season. This means that the team will have to save money on operating costs, all due to the coronavirus pandemic, team manager Jérôme Pinault told the French press.

Vital Concepts has been the team's main sponsor since its inception in 2018 and a co-sponsor this season, but has decided to reduce its contribution to the team next season. The French newspaper Ouest France reported that Vital Concept has reduced its investment by €1.7 million, from €2 million to €300,000.

"I don't want to reveal the exact figure, but we expect a budget cut of between 15% and 20%. Obviously, we don't have to go down to that amount yet, but we are preparing for it anyway," former Pro Pinault told Ouest-France in an interview published Monday.

"I was afraid," he said. 'In times like this, when you have a sponsor-dependent and unstable cycling model like ours, you are always afraid.' [Fortunately, all my partners have stayed on, and although we don't have as big a budget as before, they are still with us," Pinault said.

"It's a worrisome time in cycling, of course. We don't know what's going to happen next or what the next season will be like. We don't have a home venue, we don't have a stadium, we don't have TV rights.

Pinot said he plans to save money in other parts of the team's operations rather than cut riders' and staff's salaries to make up the shortfall.

"There was no need to make 'sporting cuts' when the team was having its best season with a good performance in the Tour de France," Pinault said.

"Despite the COVID-19 crisis, we wanted to keep the team competitive.

"Instead, the team's daily operations, communication, and infrastructure ...... I mean, the players may have to adapt a bit, but it will be something other than their wages," he said.

Pinault also revealed that 2021 was set to be the last year of Vital Concepts' contract and that their budget cuts were not at all surprising.19]

"A company that has contributed to the team in so many different ways over the years, at this difficult time I can't blame them for having to make another choice."

However, the company's budget cuts were not a surprise at all.

However, Pinault added that if another company was considering joining as a co-sponsor next season, the door would be wide open.

The team will retain its leaders, climber Pierre Rolland and sprinter Bryan Coquard, and has acquired a number of athletes, including Jonathan Hibbert from Total Direct Energie, Cyril Lemoine from Cofidis, and Quentin Jauregui from AG2R to The team has been strengthened by acquisitions.

The team is once again trying to win a wild card for the Tour de France, and Pinault is confident that the B&B Hotel will be there again. The team and its main sponsor, the budget hotel chain, hail from Brittany, and this year's Grande Palais will be held in Brest on June 26.

"After a successful first Tour de France, I don't have the feeling that I won't be invited back next year," Pinault said. Laurent, in particular, finished second behind Marc Hirschi of Sunweb on stage 12 in Salin and 18th overall.

"I may not be invited, but it's clear I really want to participate, especially since it starts in Brittany.

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