The B&B Hotels team could remain as a low-level professional team or as a continental team, Belgian riders Elliot Rieter and Jens Debuscher said team manager Jérôme Pinault, after an important meeting on Monday, final A decision is expected to be made after an important meeting on Monday.

Ramon Schinkeldam was quickly poached by Alpecin Deceuninck, Bora Hansgrohe signed with mountain bike rider Viktor Koretzky, and Luca Mozzato moved to Trek Segafredo and Arkea Samsic. Cavendish's future is unclear, with Israel Premier Tech the logical solution, but there is no concrete news on the Manxman's future.

22-year-old Axel Laurens, who finished second in this year's Bretagne Classic, is said to have six teams vying for him, including Ineos Grenadier; B&B Hotels - one of KTM's five 2022 winners of the Polynormand one-day race; B&B Hotels - one of KTM's five 2022 Frank Bonamur, who won the race, is also said to be forming a team.

However, Pierre Rolland, a stage winner in the 2011 Tour de France Alpe d'Huez, and another veteran French rider, Jonathan Hyvale, will retire at the end of this year.

Rieter and Debusschere have signed contracts with B&B Hotels through 2023, but are in limbo, unsure if the French team will survive or if they will find a new team at the end of the winter. They headed to Calpe for warm weather training, hoping that Pinault would help them stay in the pro peloton.

"I don't think there is a better place to be. At home we will have more trouble," Debusschere told Nieuwsblad (opens in new tab).

"We remain professional. Of course, these are very uncertain times," Lietaert said in an interview with the Flemish newspaper.

The two riders revealed details of their phone conversation on Friday, when Pinault admitted that he had been unable to find a sponsor for his ambitious plan for 2023.

Pinault was apparently convinced that the city of Paris was prepared to fund the team and that it could secure a number of new competitors. However, the French capital later explained that it could not provide public funding, forcing Pinault to bring in commercial sponsors.

"In October I met with all the team players in Paris. Newcomers like Mark Cavendish were there," Debusschere revealed.

"It was still 'happy days' then. Everything was going well." [But two days later, Paris apparently pulled out for political reasons. Pinault, no doubt with good intentions, tried to raise funds elsewhere, but it did not work. And the longer he waited, the worse the situation became for us."

"Pinault was a rider. I thought he must have a plan B somewhere. Apparently not. But Pinault also knows that if he has to tell 24 riders in December that their contracts are expiring, it will be a disaster and a bloodbath."

Both Belgian riders are training hard and are optimistic that Pinault, with the help of B&B Hotels, can build some kind of professional team with riders under contract for at least 2022. That is up to the French hotel chain and the UCI.

"Pinault still has a budget of 4 or 5 million thanks to B&B Hotels. Pinault had an important meeting about this and decided on the way forward; with 4 or 5 million, a Pro Conti team would be possible in principle," Rietaert suggested.

"We still have a contract for 2023. If the team continues at a lower level, there is no problem," Debusschere said.

"Then this episode may have caused a small happening, but staying positive is a plus for everyone. We can put ourselves on the map and help Pinault's project go up a little bit." 0]

Rieta, however, seemed to doubt Pinault's willingness to continue with the team.

"From what I saw at the Zoom meeting, I didn't get the impression that he really wanted to continue. To be honest, I'm pretty skeptical about that," Retire said.

"I know B&B wants him to be in the Tour first and foremost. With a low-level men's team, that would be very, very difficult. But Pinault is working on a women's team, and the Tour is realistic. To me, that is a realistic option. Aside from the men's team, it is to continue with the women's team with B&B as the sponsor."

The two Belgians are also working on Plan B, hoping their agents will find them a ride in 2023.

"Our manager, Yannick Prévost, has shifted to 6th gear. Hopefully he will find something somewhere. He is still very motivated as a rider. That's why Jens and I are having a private training camp in Calpe. For many reasons, last season was the worst season of my career. I want to make the best of my career for next season," said Riter.

"I hope there are still people who believe in me, just as Pinault always believed in me.

"Nobody wants to stop like this. For example, I hope Mark Cavendish finds a solution for next year. At the very least, so that he can go for the Tour victory record."

"This is starting to get a little long-winded, so I need some clarification. I don't think we have a choice anymore, but if there is a chance, we have to grab it with both hands."