Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. has informed the management of the Toyota-United professional cycling team that it will not renew its three-year sponsorship of the squad when its contract expires at year’s end.

Team owner, Sean Tucker, held a conference call with riders, staff and management to break the news, promising that he will look for a new title sponsor to replace Toyota, which has supported the program since December of 2005.

“The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team has performed at a level that truly symbolizes the Toyota way. We have the utmost respect for Sean Tucker, his management, the marketing and PR team, and the athlete riders all of whom have represented us valiantly,” said Keith Dahl, national manager of engagement marketing. “We accomplished our goals in this three-year term and have since shifted strategies.”

“Certainly we have enjoyed our partnership with Toyota these past two and a half years which has been incredibly successful for both organizations with 118 wins in just over two seasons,” said Tucker in a release issued Friday. “We will always be grateful for the support Toyota, its dealer network and employees have shown our team and me personally.”

“We are looking forward to securing a new partner for the 2009 season in the next 100 days who can benefit from and build their brand by being associated with our world class organization,” he added. “We are confident another sponsor will capitalize on the value United Pro Cycling Team generates with our 25,000 registered fans, eight-figure annual measurable media exposure, 3.3 million annual onsite spectators and the charitable work our team does in the communities we race in.”

Toyota-United includes 14 riders from seven different countries, with representation from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Cuba, Serbia and Mexico. The team includes current UCI B World Road Race Champion and 2008 Olympian Ivan Stevic, from Serbia. Also on the team are riders Dominique Rollin, the 2008 Amgen Tour of California stage 4 winner and overall sprint jersey winner from Quebec, Canada, and Jose Manuel (Chepe) Garcia, the 2008 National Time Trial champion from Mexico.