In a sport where long-term stability is rare and sponsorship battles are often fought in silence, brothers Philip and Christoph Roodhooft have once again managed to steer their program into calmer waters. The architects behind the Alpecin teams — home to stars such as Mathieu van der Poel and Puck Pieterse — have secured the future of their structure by extending Alpecin’s involvement and bringing Quebec-based Premier Tech on board as a new naming partner beginning in 2026.
It’s a significant move, especially with Deceuninck reducing its commitment. And it didn’t come easily, according to Dutch media.
Premier Tech, which recently cut ties with Israel–Premier Tech, was one of the most pursued sponsors in the sport this year. INEOS Grenadiers, Soudal–Quick-Step, EF Education–EasyPost, Astana, Picnic–PostNL and even the women’s team St Michel–Préférence Home–Auber93 were all linked to the company at various points. Yet it was the Roodhoofts who ultimately won the trust of Premier Tech CEO Jean Bélanger.
“There’s definitely relief,” Philip Roodhooft said, “but mainly joy and pride that we’ve managed once again to connect an important company to our project for the long term. Everyone knows it’s not easy — not for us, and not for many other teams. There have been a lot of interesting conversations these past months.”
According to Roodhooft, discussions stretched longer than expected, to the point that the team briefly explored bridge solutions for 2026 built around Deceuninck and bike supplier Canyon. But when Premier Tech decided to commit, things fell into place quickly.
“In the end, Premier Tech was the perfect solution,” he said. “They’re a company that thinks long-term and shares our culture and values.”
A relationship that made everything easier
When word emerged that the Roodhoofts’ personal connection with Bélanger played a decisive role, Philip didn’t deny it.
“We’ve known each other for a while, and that does make things easier,” he said. “You don’t need weeks just to understand who the person is on the other side of the table. This kind of commitment involves large sums of money and a long horizon. If you barely know each other, it becomes a much harder story from the sponsor’s perspective.”
He added, switching briefly into Dutch, that Bélanger also appreciates the hands-on way the brothers run their team. “Christoph…
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