 Team Sunweb was founded in 2005 under the name "Shimano-Memory Corp", sponsored by Skil and Shimano, and was based in the Netherlands.Thanks to aggressive strategies during Paris–Nice in 2008 and 2009, the team was awarded a wildcard for the 2009 Tour de France, making it their first appearance in a Grand Tour.After losing its sponsors at the end of 2011, the team adopted the name "Project 1T4i", standing for "team spirit, inspiration, integrity, improvement and innovation", until a new sponsor was secured.