TEAM Sapura Cycling have no choice but to put their plans to become a ProTeam on hold for the time being.
Team principal Sayuti Zahit said that it would be almost impossible to achieve it due to the current economic situation brought on by Covid-19.
Sapura, currently a continental team, were looking to make the step up to ProTeam status next year following their strong performances in recent seasons.
Sapura are currently the tsop-ranked team in the UCI Asia Tour.
"If we had a big sponsorship deal we would have gone ahead with it," said Sayuti.
"However, with the current economic situation, most businesses are not doing too well.
"At the moment, it looks almost impossible to realise it for the 2021 season."
Moving up to ProTeam status would allow Sapura to compete in higher-level competitions such as the ProSeries and WorldTour races, the latter through wildcards.
Achieving ProTeam status, however, requires significant finances which must be proven to the UCI.
A ProTeam must comprise at least three team managers, 20 riders and five support staff.
Sayuti, however, assured that Sapura will continue to aim high in races next season.
"We hope to win Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) for the third time in a row next year, and target the podium in other races such as the Tour de Taiwan and Herald Sun Tour," he added.
Sapura won this year's LTdL yellow and red jerseys through Italian rider Danilo Celano and Nur Aiman Zariff, as well as finishing first in the overall team general classification.
They had also won the LTdL yellow jersey through Australian Benjamin Dyball last year.