In an effort to compete with cycling’s biggest teams and "become the best cycling team in the world," Madis Mihkels' employer, Education First, has begun searching for an additional title sponsor. With this move, the team aims to realize its ambitious goal of winning both the men's and women's Tour de France within the next decade.
Team management confirmed that the international education company Education First will remain as one of the main sponsors, but that they are looking to bring in additional funding to achieve their major goals. This step follows the significant growth in budgets among several top teams in recent seasons, as major brands such as Lidl, Red Bull, and Decathlon have entered professional cycling aggressively.
"It is rare in professional sports and almost unheard of in cycling for an owner and anchor partner to continue on the same terms while inviting an additional title sponsor to invest solely to make the team stronger," said team CEO Jonathan Vaughters. "We owe EF a great deal. EF acquired the team in 2017, seeing parallels between the global spirit of cycling and the company's mission to open the world through education and cultural exchange. Our sport has changed drastically over the last twenty years. WorldTour budgets have grown at an unprecedented rate, and we see this as an opportunity to partner with a brand that shares our vision of winning at the highest level while staying true to who we are."
Madis Mihkels is under contract with Education First until the end of this year. The reigning Estonian champion will make his season debut at the Tour of Oman, which begins on Saturday.
Madis Mihkels' team is looking for a wealthy sponsor
