November 7, 2008 (Montreal, QC) – Following three years of existence the Calyon Pro Cycling TEAM will not be continuing in 2009. The global financial crisis has strongly affected our sponsor, the Calyon Bank, and its parent company, the Credit Agricole Group. Other silent partners of the team were also affected by the recent turbulence in the stock market.

Our sponsor had to implement a drastic cost-cutting policies due to the financial crisis and given these circumstances, we cannot properly fund a continental team as we wished to in 2009.

Nevertheless we are proud of our record. We were the first professional team in Quebec, and the second in Canada, to have been able to offer an international race program for Espoir (U23) riders. In addition we have competed at many races across Canada, the United States, Belize and Europe. To assemble a team at this level requires a considerable investment of time and money.

We tried our best with the means we had at our disposal, but my responsibilities within the Credit Agricole Group, combined with management of the team, did not leave me with much free time. Together with my wife, Isabelle, I have been actively involved in the Québéc cycling scene for almost a decade, first with the Espoirs Laval club and then with the Calyon team. We now need to take a pause in 2009, with hope of returning to cycling in the future.

First I wish to thank all of our riders, our silent partners, our Masters team Calyon Martin Swiss, and the people who helped us abroad Рparticularly in Europe. I also wish to thank the many people who supported us voluntarily over these past three last years within the team. I am thinking in particular of Gerard Pennaroya, Marc Wayne Addison, Jonathan Desjardins, and Steve Denis of Martin Swiss Cycles. It was my son, Maxime Viv̬s who handled our material support and dealt with our silent partners. Last, but not least, I wish to thank my wife, Isabelle.

Bernard Vives
Calyon Pro Cycling Team