Time appears to be running out for the French B&B Hotels-KTM team, which was expected to sign Mark Cavendish for 2023 and also create a women's team led by Audrey Cordon-Lago.

November 22 is reportedly the final deadline for team manager Jérôme Pinault to find a major sponsor and register the team with the UCI for the 2023 season.

Pinault and his new business partner in Paris appear to be caught in a loop of cycling doom. They have signed a rider for 2023, but there appears to be no sponsor to fund the team yet, and they are running out of time to register with the UCI.

BMC is reportedly sending the team new bikes and planning a training camp, but the lack of sponsorship and clarity has frightened riders and key partners such as the city of Paris.

According to Pascal Chanteur, president of the French UNCP riders' union, many riders have contacted him and are "worried and anxious" about the team's future.

The team is rumored to have several major new signings for 2023, including Cavendish, Nick Schulz, and Cees Bol, as well as contract extensions for key players such as Pierre Rolland and Italian sprinter Luca Mozzato.

However, the team failed to complete its registration with the UCI and submit its bank guarantee and player contracts by the October 15 deadline. The team also canceled a press conference announced for October 26. Pinault also changed the structure of the team's management company and invited a new business partner, which only caused further complications.

The B&B Hotel will remain as a major sponsor and is expected to invest 5 million euros. Amazon France, Carrefour, and Cdiscount are also rumored to be possible sponsors, but nothing has been confirmed.

The city of Paris was supposed to play a key role in the development of the 2023 team. Although no public funds were committed, the city was eager to provide political clout and prestige, but now seems poised to ditch Pinault.

Under UCI rules, if a team does not register with the UCI, riders are free to terminate their contracts and move elsewhere after October 15; some of the riders who were with B&B Hotels are reportedly looking for new locations for 2023, but there are few openings on the roster. There are few teams with openings on their rosters.

The UCI has set November 15 as the last day to submit sponsor and rider contracts and the necessary bank guarantees to cover future unpaid wages. A final appeal can be made to the UCI Licensing Committee, which would presumably give Pinot until November 22, but each day late would result in a fine and further impact on the team's finances.

Pinault has remained very low-key, fighting to keep the team alive and register with the UCI in time, and his spokesman has been nothing more than an inexplicable reassurance.

"We understand people have a lot of questions, we understand there is a lot of talk. We are working, we are completing the (UCI) dossier and we are totally focused on it," Pinault told Le Telegramme (open in new tab) on October 26.

Pinault apparently did not provide any information on new sponsors when questioned by the DNCG professional committee of the French professional league, which manages the team's finances, and did not seem to have a backup plan if he could not find a major sponsor to fund his planned team expansion and sign several WorldTour riders. He does not appear to have a backup plan if he is unable to find a major sponsor to fund his planned team expansion and the signing of several World Tour riders.

"I wish the best for the team and hope everything works out, but we also need to face reality.

"I know they went to DNCG earlier in the week, but the clock is ticking as they have to submit their paperwork (application) to UCI by November 22. It's November 10 now, and if there are any problems, that's a problem."

"Everything is a blur. I am very concerned. I feel like there has only been a Plan A and not a Plan B. It's mid-November, and it would have been nice to have."

Chanture expressed concern and anxiety for the riders.

"I know the director does his best to keep all the riders and staff informed, but they read and hear things. Even if I trust the director, I can't help but wonder." [I want to trust Jerome Pinault and I know he is doing his utmost. I hope this situation can be resolved. I think it is still possible, and I believe so. But having said that, we also have to face reality. We heard from Jerome earlier in the week, and he is not necessarily reassured.

"He brought no more elements to the table than I had read in the press some time ago. He said he is still negotiating with the city of Paris and certain others. But I understood that it was difficult to move forward. I must say that did not reassure me much."