Unibet to quit

The squad, whose rider line-up currently includes former Tour de France stage-winner Jimmy Casper (pictured) and Britain's Jeremy Hunt, will therefore disband.

"Today we have decided to disband the team at the end of the season. Our racers and staff can now seek new employment," team director Koen Terryn said.

The team were denied entry to this year's Giro d'Italia and then the Tour de France by organisers the ASO on "legal grounds" relating to the fact that Unibet is a swedish online betting site.

The ASO said online gambling was illegal in France, and Terryn believes it is the main reason for the withdrawal.

"I don't blame Unibet. If I was CEO of a company, I could not justify investing eight million euros every year in a team that is unsure whether it will even race in the big Tours," Terryn added.

Unibet becomes the second major sponsor to announce their withdrawal from professional cycling in the past week, following in the wheeltracks of Discovery Channel.