Cycle Collstrop

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{Infobox cycling team

| name = Cycle Collstrop

| image =

| code = COS

| registered = Netherlands

| founded = 2001

| disbanded = 2008

| generalmanager = Koen Terryn

| teammanager = Jacques Hanegraaf

| discipline = Road

| status = {{unbulleted list|Professional Continental (2004–2006, 2008)|UCI ProTour (2007)}}

| season = 2004
2005
2006–2007
2008

| oldname = MrBookmaker.com – Palmans
MrBookmaker – Sports Tech
Unibet.com
Cycle Collstrop

| pattern_la1=_greenlower|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=_greenlower|leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=008000|

}}

Cycle Collstrop ({{UCI code|COS}}) was a Swedish UCI Professional Continental cycling team. It was the successor to Unibet.com, which was mainly sponsored by the online gambling website Unibet.com and as a continuation of the MrBookmaker.com cycling team.

The team rode on the European Continental Circuit, until the beginning of the 2007 season, when they were granted a ProTour licence.{{Cite news| first = Shane | last = Stokes | title = Unibet in, Saiz out, ProTour place still possible for Astana | url = http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/dec06/dec16news | work = Cyclingnews.com | date = 15 December 2006 | access-date = 15 December 2006}} In 2008, they were awarded a Professional Continental licence. The new team was led by Steffen Wesemann, and problems previously experienced through having had sponsorship from a betting company were avoided with new sponsorship from a wooden flooring company.

Unibet.com had also been drawn into the Operación Puerto doping investigation. The cyclist Carlos Quesada was named by the Spanish authorities as a patient of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes and was suspended by the team.[http://www.unibetcycling.com/cycen/detail.php?id=174 Quesada temporarily suspended]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Although Quesada had been named, he has not yet been formally charged with doping, which led to the management of Unibet.com to lift its suspension of Quesada two weeks after it was imposed.[http://www.unibetcycling.com/cycen/detail.php?id=187 Quesada to compete again]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Nevertheless, the team did not pay the Spanish cyclist his salary, which led to a lawsuit, finally resolved with Quesada leaving the team in exchange for a compensation.

The team, whose sponsors have pulled out of cycling, failed to submit its application for renewal by the 20 November 2007 deadline and did not take part in the 2008 UCI ProTour.{{Cite web |url=http://www.uciprotour.com/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=NTQwOQ&MenuId=MTY5Mw&BackLink=%2FTemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI5%2Flayout%2Easp%3FMenuID%3DMTY5Mw |title=uciprotour.com |access-date=27 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716172601/http://www.uciprotour.com/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=NTQwOQ&MenuId=MTY5Mw&BackLink=%2FTemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI5%2Flayout.asp%3FMenuID=MTY5Mw |archive-date=16 July 2011 |url-status=dead }} Many of the team members went to the newly formed team Vacansoleil.

Dispute with race organisers

Despite obtaining a ProTour license for the 2007 season, Unibet.com were not granted entry in Paris–Nice, the inaugural race of the series. The organiser of the French race, Amaury Sport Organisation, argued that French law bans gambling companies (except for Française des Jeux and PMU, as well as some casinos). Nevertheless, Unibet.com took part in the French races GP La Marseillaise and Étoile de Bessèges with special jerseys without their sponsor's name.

RCS also snubbed Unibet.com for the Tirreno–Adriatico, explaining that Italian gambling law required a special license for Unibet. However, as the Unibet.com management pointed out, Unibet did have the license, while Predictor-Lotto's sponsor (the Belgian national lottery) did not, but the Belgian squad was allowed to race on Italian soil. RCS further contradicted themselves when they later invited Unibet.com to Milan–San Remo in which Jeremy Hunt was their best rider, finishing in 17th place, ahead of former winners such as Filippo Pozzato or Paolo Bettini.

However, Unibet.com was not chosen to ride in any of the three Grand Tours.

{{Clear}}

Major wins

;2007

:Nationale Sluitingsprijs (Gorik Gardeyn)

:Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise, (Jeremy Hunt)

:Stage 3, Tour Down Under (Baden Cooke)

:Le Samyn, (Jimmy Casper)

:General classification, Record Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, (Jimmy Casper)

:Points classification, Record Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, (Jimmy Casper)

:Stage 1, Record Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, (Jimmy Casper)

:General classification, Tour of Ireland, ((Stijn Vandenbergh))

:Mountains classification, Volta a Catalunya (Luis Pasamontes)

:Stage 8, Tour de Suisse (Rigoberto Urán)

Final roster

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Birthdate

!Nationality

!Team 2007

!Team 2009

Borut Božič8. August 1980{{SLO}}Team L.P.R.Vacansoleil
Tom Criel6. June 1983{{flagu|Belgium}}Unibet.comTopsport Vlaanderen
Bas Giling4. November 1982{{NLD}}Wiesenhof–FeltTeam Designa Køkken
Michał Gołaś29. April 1984{{flagu|Poland}}Unibet.comAmica Chips-Knauf
Sergey Kolesnikov3. September 1986{{flagu|Russia}}Unibet.comMoscow
David Kopp5. January 1979{{flagu|Germany}}Team GerolsteinerElite 2
Sergey Lagutin14. January 1981{{UZB}}Navigators Insurance Cycling TeamVacansoleil
Marco Marcato11. February 1984{{flagu|Italy}}Team L.P.R.Vacansoleil
Lucas Persson16. March 1984{{flagu|Sweden}}Unibet.com ContinentalTeam Capinordic
Matthé Pronk1. July 1974{{NLD}}Unibet.comVacansoleil
Sergey Rudaskov6. August 1984{{flagu|Russia}}Neo-proElite 2
Mirko Selvaggi11. February 1985{{flagu|Italy}}Neo-proAmica Chips-Knauf
Raynold Smith20. November 1985{{flagu|South Africa}}Ex-Pro (Fondas Imabo 2005)Elite 2
Gil Suray29. August 1984{{flagu|Belgium}}Unibet.comRoubaix – Lille Metropole
Kenny Van Der Schueren20. July 1982{{flagu|Belgium}}Unibet.com ContinentalPalmans-Cras
Troels Vinther24. February 1987{{DEN}}Unibet.comTeam Capinordic
Steffen Wesemann11. March 1971{{flagu|Switzerland}}Wiesenhof–FeltRetired

References