Team DSM–Firmenich PostNL (men's team) explained

Team dsm–firmenich PostNL
Code:DFP
Registered:Netherlands (2005–2014)
Germany (2015–2021)
Netherlands (2022–present)
Website:https://www.team-dsm.com
Generalmanager:Iwan Spekenbrink
Discipline:Road
Bicycles:Colnago (2005)
Koga (2006–2011)
Felt (2012)
Giant (2013–2018)
Cervélo (2019–2020)
Scott (2021–)
Components:Shimano
Status:UCI Professional Continental (2005–2012)
UCI WorldTeam (2013–)
Current:2024 Team dsm–firmenich PostNL (men's team) season

Team dsm–firmenich PostNL ([1]) is a Dutch professional cycling team at UCI WorldTeam level. The team is managed by Iwan Spekenbrink. The team is sponsored by the nutrition, and fragrances company DSM-Firmenich.[2]

History

The team was founded in 2005 under the name "Shimano-Memory Corp", sponsored by Skil and Shimano, and was based in the Netherlands.[3] Thanks to aggressive strategies during Paris–Nice in 2008 and 2009, the team was awarded a wildcard for the 2009 Tour de France, making it their first appearance in a Grand Tour.

After losing its sponsors at the end of 2011, the team adopted the name "Project 1T4i", standing for "team spirit, inspiration, integrity, improvement and innovation",[4] until a new sponsor was secured. Ahead of the Tour of Flanders on 1 April 2012, the team became Argos-Shimano following the announcement of a three-year naming rights contract with the Argos North Sea Group, an oil company based in the Netherlands.[5] [6]

In 2012, the team received their second wildcard invitation to the 2012 Tour de France, along with three French-registered teams:, and .[7]

In December 2012 it was announced that the team would compete at the World Tour level for the 2013 season.[8]

In September 2014 German shampoo manufacturer Alpecin announced that they would co-sponsor the team alongside Giant for the 2015 season.[9] In December 2014 Sunweb (a Dutch-owned international tour operator) was announced as a new major sponsor of the team, signing a 2-year deal.[10]

On 23 January 2016 during training in Spain, six members of the team (John Degenkolb, Warren Barguil, Max Walscheid, Chad Haga, Fredrik Ludvigsson and Ramon Sinkeldam) were hit by a car that was driven by an English tourist, who turned the wrong way into on-coming traffic.[11] For a time there was serious concern about some of them not only returning to ride in the 2016 season, but whether or not the accident might end their careers. Fortunately everyone recovered.[12]

On the first rest day of the 2016 Tour de France, the team announced that Sunweb would become a named sponsor of the team for the 2017 season, and the team would move their registration from the Netherlands to Germany.[13] In 2017, Team Sunweb won its first Grand Tour: the 2017 Giro d'Italia with Tom Dumoulin. At the 2017 Tour de France, the team won four stages and two major jerseys: Warren Barguil won the Mountains classification and Combativity Award while reaching 10th overall, and Michael Matthews won the Points classification. In 2018 the team rode in support of Tom Dumoulin, who finished second in both the 2018 Giro d'Italia and the 2018 Tour de France.

From the 2021 season, DSM took over title sponsorship of the team,[14] with the name changing to DSM-firmenich in response to a company merger shortly before the 2023 Tour de France.

Major wins

See main article: List of wins by Shimano–Memory Corp and its successors.

National and world champions

2005
  • Japan Road Race, Hidenori Nodera
    2008
  • Japan Road Race, Hidenori Nodera
    2012
  • Japan Road Race, Yukihiro Doi
    2014
  • Dutch Time Trial, Tom Dumoulin
    2015
  • Austria Time Trial, Georg Preidler
    2016
  • Dutch Time Trial, Tom Dumoulin
    2017
  • Dutch Time Trial, Tom Dumoulin
  • Austria Time Trial, Georg Preidler
  • Dutch Road Race, Ramon Sinkeldam
  • World Team Time Trial
  • World Time Trial, Tom Dumoulin

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Team DSM. UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. 2 January 2021. https://archive.today/20210102003957/https://www.uci.org/road/teams/TeamDetail/15245/1000596/279. 2 January 2021.
    2. Web site: emily . 13 June 2023 . New name, same team, same values: Team dsm-firmenich . 2023-06-24 . Team DSM . en-US.
    3. Web site: Profil of TEAM SUNWEB – Tour de France 2018. www.letour.fr. en. 2018-07-30.
    4. Web site: 1T4I unveils young squad with big ambition. Sam Dansie. Cyclingnews.com.
    5. News: 1t4i-ploeg heet vanaf zondag Argos-Shimano. nl. 1T4i-team is called Argos-Shimano from next Sunday on. 30 March 2012. 30 March 2012. Sporza. Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120401173313/http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/120330_1t4i_Argos-Shimano. 1 April 2012.
    6. News: Argos-Shimano cycling team presented in Rotterdam. Daniel. Benson. 30 March 2012. 30 March 2012. Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited.
    7. News: Argos-Shimano receives Tour de France wildcard invitation. 5 July 2012. Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 6 April 2012.
    8. News: Argos-Shimano Team celebrates its new WorldTour license. CyclingNews. Future Publishing Limited. 10 December 2012. 13 February 2013.
    9. Web site: German shampoo maker Alpecin to sponsor Giant. 24 September 2014 . . 24 September 2014.
    10. Web site: Sunweb signs two-year deal with Giant-Alpecin. Cycling News. Cyclingnews.com.
    11. Web site: Irish Independent. John Degenkolb and Warren Barguil among six Giant-Alpecin cyclists hospitalised after being hit by a car. 23 January 2016.
    12. Web site: Mixed fortunes in 2016 for the six Giant-Alpecin riders involved in Calpe crash. Editorial Staff. Cycling News. 27 October 2016. 11 July 2022.
    13. Web site: Giant-Alpecin confirm Sunweb as new title sponsor.
    14. Web site: Home.