The team of Cyclocross World Champion Wout van Aert, Sniper Cycling, have announced that they are in discussion with Dutch side Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij over a possible merger.
Team Roompot are on the hunt for a new sponsor after the Dutch lottery that helps fund the team announced that it would be withdrawing its funding for 2019.
Roompot confirmed it would increase its stake in the team but that it would be open to a second sponsor.
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf then suggested that the team wanted to attract Belgian riders, hence the talks with Sniper Cycling, which race under the name Willems Veranda's-Crelan.
Roompot-Nederlanse Loterij have had an impressive summer of racing with a stage victory at the recent BinckBank Tour and an active Deutschland Tour.
Roompot team manager Michael Zijlaard confirmed the discussions to De Telegraaf but also stressed that it was in an extremely early stage.
'We [Roompot] are in discussion but are still in the phase that we are studying a possible merger of both teams,' stated Zijlaard.
'We have only been in talks for two days and must first list all the options before we can say whether a merger is really an option.'
Sniper Cycling then confirmed this morning that they were in these talks as they look for a solution that could secure the future of both teams.
'Sniper Cycling is holding talks with Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij to look into a possible cooperation and win-win situation for each other,' read the team's statement.
'Both stable organisations are of the opinion that a collaboration would mean a reinforcement for both projects.'
It then went on to reinforce that the team would continue next season regardless of this outcome.
This announcement comes in the light of fellow ProContinental team Aqua Blue Sport announcing that they would cease to exist from 2019 due to a lack of invites to top races.
The Irish team were previously linked to a merger with Sniper Cycling earlier this month but were left blushing when a press release announcing the collaboration was rescinded with Sniper Cycling denying the merger.
Aqua Blue Sport have since decided to cease operations as a professional cycling team leaving 15 riders and a team of staff out of contract.
The potential Roompot/Sniper collaboration has also seemingly caught star rider Wout van Aert off-guard who criticised the teams for showing little communication with the riders over the possible merger, joking that he may even take a sabbatical year before joining LottoNL-Jumbo in 2020.
Clashes between van Aert and Sniper Cycling team manager Nick Nuyens have been well-documented and with this latest comment seem far from being repaired.