CANYON//SRAM confirmed on May 29 that it has terminated its partnership agreement with zondacrypto, effective immediately, citing "breaches of contract." The team will revert to racing as CANYON//SRAM, with a full branding transition across digital platforms, equipment, team clothing and formal UCI processes due for completion by August 1, 2026.
The announcement, published via the Canyon media centre, did not specify the nature of the alleged breaches. It ends a co-title sponsorship deal originally signed in Monaco in October 2024 and intended to run from 2025 through 2027. The development squad will now be known as CANYON//SRAM Generation.
"We have respected all contractual obligations and legal procedures, but are now happy to draw a line and move forward," team manager Ronny Lauke said.
The termination follows weeks of external reporting about zondacrypto's legal and financial troubles in Poland. The company has been under a judicial investigation involving alleged fraud and money laundering, with Poland's Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek saying authorities had received reports from citizens allegedly unable to withdraw funds. The Katowice prosecutor's office estimated damages at no less than 350 million zloty, approximately €83 million. Zondacrypto CEO Przemysław Kral denied the allegations, describing claims of Russian mafia links as "absurd," according to TVPWorld.
CANYON//SRAM is not the first cycling property to sever ties with the exchange. Escape Collective reported that the Tour de Suisse terminated its partnership with zondacrypto "with immediate effect" on May 6. Zondacrypto had also been linked to the Tour de Pologne, the Giro d'Italia Women and other events.
In pro cycling, a co-title sponsor shapes the registered team name, kit branding and certain UCI paperwork, but the racing licence and roster can continue while those changes are processed. The team's statement said its long-term stability remains secure.
What changes, and what the team is racing for
Both squads are already being referred to under their new names. Lauke framed the team's decade-long record as evidence of resilience: "For more than 10 years, we have proven on the world's biggest stages that the team is built to perform at the highest level and built to last," he said.
The immediate focus is the Giro d'Italia Women, which begins on May 30. The team said it is targeting both stage wins and the general classification across Northern Italy, with riders including Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (CANYON//SRAM) and Chloé Dygert (CANYON//SRAM) on its 2026 WorldTour roster. Ambitions for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift later this season remain intact, the team said.
Timeline: CANYON//SRAM and zondacrypto
Key dates from sponsorship announcement to termination
Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2024 | |
| 2025 | |
| Dec 17, 2025 | |
| Apr 22, 2026 | |
| May 6, 2026 | |
| May 29, 2026 | |
| May 30, 2026 | |
| Aug 1, 2026 |
Cover image credit: Billy Ceusters
