THE HAGUE, Sept 28, 2011 (AFP) – Dutch cycling team Skil is set for a name
change, and a new sponsor whose aim is to hoist the second division outfit
into the World Tour ranks, team chief Iwan Spekenbrink said Tuesday.

“It will be a new top level team… whose foundation will be the current
structure of the Skil team,” Spekenbrink said in a statement.

He added that the new sponsor, which will come on board in the spring of
2012, had agreed to a three-year deal. The team will then become known as
‘Project 1t4i’.

According to a team statement 1t4i stands for: Team spirit, Inspiration,
Integrity, Improvement and Innovation. The team will aim for World Tour
status, which guarantees entry to most of cycling’s big races, for the 2012 or
2013 season.

Despite their Continental Division status, Skil have notched up some
significant victories this season, thanks in large part to German sprinter
Marcel Kittel.

He will be joined by compatriot John Degenkolb, another sprint specialist,
for next season while bigger things will be expected by current team members
Tom Veelers of the Netherlands and Frenchman Alexandre Geniez.