• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Teams & Riders Lotto Dstny Cycling Team

Page 10 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
This literally happens in every youth team. You don't invest in riders when you don't get anything in return. And definitely not when it's a rider who should be happy that a team gave him everything he wanted (literally dissapointed riders because they took Lecerf to big races when he hadn't proven anything) after already being spit out by another team.

Also hilarious that it's Lefevere, as hypotcritical as it gets.
Lotto is in the wrong here. They are butthurt because they didn’t get in on him in time, which is their fault, then tried to screw him over for his decision, after Lotto jumped in late. It’s pathetic your defending Lotto, when their horribly wrong organization keeps having mind blowing screw ups like these. How they are treating Lecerf is like how DSM has treated countless riders.
 
Lotto is in the wrong here. They are butthurt because they didn’t get in on him in time, which is their fault, then tried to screw him over for his decision, after Lotto jumped in late. It’s pathetic your defending Lotto, when their horribly wrong organization keeps having mind blowing screw ups like these. How they are treating Lecerf is like how DSM has treated countless riders.

LOOOL why do people keep expecting devo teams to support riders that won't ride with their team in the future. You gain nothing doing that, absolutely nothing. I haven't seen a single human being give a good reason as to why you should support a rider when it's known he won't give you anything in return. It's just simply not worth it, it's charity if you do it and they normally do it when the rider and his daddy aren't straight up weird.

Lecerfs daddy already ruined his first year as a u23 rider and Im now looking forward to see him ruin the rest of his career too (well tbh he isn't that talented so this is a great way to get his sons name out there). Imagine giving a kid who's being thrown out of a team a 2nd chance (he literally didn't have any good options after last year, nobody wanted him and his daddy) by giving him the best opportunities any u23 can get just to see him accept an offer from another team without telling you once he has one good result. Obviously you're not going to be happy about that. It's a CLUB team contract. Both parties can just stop it if they want. No reason to continue in this case. It's not about him listening to or even accepting an offer from another team. It's about not giving Lotto a chance to sit down with him when he knew damn well they wanted to keep him. Lying about this just just to get your name out (smells like the Lefevere playbook tbh) is the pathetic thing not me having the opinion that Devo teams aren't obligated to support riders that will never ride for their pro team anyways.
 
LOOOL why do people keep expecting devo teams to support riders that won't ride with their team in the future. You gain nothing doing that, absolutely nothing. I haven't seen a single human being give a good reason as to why you should support a rider when it's known he won't give you anything in return. It's just simply not worth it, it's charity if you do it and they normally do it when the rider and his daddy aren't straight up weird.

Lecerfs daddy already ruined his first year as a u23 rider and Im now looking forward to see him ruin the rest of his career too (well tbh he isn't that talented so this is a great way to get his sons name out there). Imagine giving a kid who's being thrown out of a team a 2nd chance (he literally didn't have any good options after last year, nobody wanted him and his daddy) by giving him the best opportunities any u23 can get just to see him accept an offer from another team without telling you once he has one good result. Obviously you're not going to be happy about that. It's a CLUB team contract. Both parties can just stop it if they want. No reason to continue in this case. It's not about him listening to or even accepting an offer from another team. It's about not giving Lotto a chance to sit down with him when he knew damn well they wanted to keep him. Lying about this just just to get your name out (smells like the Lefevere playbook tbh) is the pathetic thing not me having the opinion that Devo teams aren't obligated to support riders that will never ride for their pro team anyways.
Just because your a Lotto fan doesn’t mean it’s not wrong. I’m a Jumbo fan, and I admit I’m biased on occasions. However, it’s just plain wrong to not obligate the rest of your contract, which Lotto clearly isn’t. Lotto also put the offer late, which you’ve disputed with no evidence. Lecerf also isn’t the most talented, but talented enough to get 4th at the Baby Giro, and 7th in the U23 LBL while working for Van Eetvelt. If you want to promote bad human ethics, go ahead and keep spouting your BS. Also, riders can return to a team once they turn pro for a few years, which Lotto burned that bridge if he becomes a WT talent.
Add this as well, which shows how big of clowns Lotto are.
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/BenjiNaesen/status/1559906505922682881
 
Last edited:
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
Just because your a Lotto fan doesn’t mean it’s not wrong. I’m a Jumbo fan, and I admit I’m biased on occasions. However, it’s just plain wrong to not obligate the rest of your contract, which Lotto clearly isn’t. Lotto also put the offer late, which you’ve disputed with no evidence. Lecerf also isn’t the most talented, but talented enough to get 4th at the Baby Giro, and 7th in the U23 LBL while working for Van Eetvelt. If you want to promote bad human ethics, go ahead and keep spouting your BS. Also, riders can return to a team once they turn pro for a few years, which Lotto burned that bridge if he becomes a WT talent.

Bro I can't take you serious. Calm down a bit, starting with calling pathetic doesn't help. You do realize the initial press reports are just what Lecerfs dad told them right? He literally called up the press to do "their story". You're saying I don't have evidence, but you don't seem to realize they don't either. They're just saying thing, and like always people immediately believe it. Lotto had no chance in this story, while there's always 2 sides to it. Lotto made it perfectly clear to him and his dad they wanted to keep him and were going to put out an offer. In the meantime they already signed with another team without hearing out what Lotto had to offer. Noone blames the kid for accepting the offer (couldn''t refuse, just too good, I would've taken it too), Lotto (Van de Wouwer especially cause he's emotionally involved with these kids) blames him for not giving Lotto a chance (didn't even give them a call) before accepting the QS offer. You're crying about bad ethics, but don't say anything about that. Something like that is always going to hurt when you're emotionally involved and have given the kid everything he wanted for the whole year, even hurting other riders chances in the process because you (and noone else at the beginning of the season) believed in him. Everyone is talking about "the contract" like it's some sort of WT or continental contract. it isn't. Lotto is a CLUB team, they (usually) don't pay their riders, a team can stop the partnership and so can the riders.

You choose to believe what the dad said, it's that simple. There's nothing wrong with that, that's your choice but don't come whining about someone needing evidence or "spouting BS'' when you're basically doing the same thing.

There's plenty of examples of riders that left the team in the past and it was never a big issue. It was always a major dissapointed but there was never drama because they played it "fair". Lotto devo team has literally 0 other cases like this while Lecerf on the other hand has been spit out by 2 different teams in 2 years time. Go ask the management of CC Etupes what they think of him and his dad.
 
Last edited:
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
I’m more sad that Lotto doesn’t deserve to finish out a contract, which it’s still a contract even though it’s a “club” team.Good thing people can surprise you on occasion, especially Lefrebve.

Again, give me one good reason why a devo team should do that? You would literally invest in a rider from another team. Look, I wouldve just giving him the wheels (his is all about some expensive DT Swiss wheels Lotto doesn't have enough of sadly btw, the rest of his bike was fine), but no way I would've let him ride more races at the end of the year when there's plenty of other riders in your team that want to race those races aswell). This happens all the time in youth categories. Pretty hilarious that everyone praises Lefevere when he would do the exact same thing (and has done in the past). He comes back to u23 cycling to do exactly what he hated in the past, stealing riders from other teams. This is a clinic Lefevere play. Make sure you do something good and let everyone hear it (wouldn't be surprised if Lefevere made sure the dad and the press were in contact) to make everyone forget about how hypocritical you are.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SHAD0W93
A free 125 points but doesn't matter anymore, missed their last opportunity to actually close down the gap to Movistar asap. Will still be 700 points behind atleast after the Vuelta if Mas doesn't crash out again. Always great when 5 out of your 7 riders crash.
Still a lot of small 1.1 and 1.pro races in Belgium the next couple of weeks. Wouldn't surprise me if De Lie alone gets 700+ points there. Definitely because he doesn't plan on going to Australia.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Still a lot of small 1.1 and 1.pro races in Belgium the next couple of weeks. Wouldn't surprise me if De Lie alone gets 700+ points there. Definitely because he doesn't plan on going to Australia.

It's not like those other teams aren't getting points. Everyone knows they need points now so are racing more, even Movistar is going to race some Belgian races to get random top 10s with Kanter. You just don't make up a 700 point gap without winning something big. And today should've been that day. Without anything weird happening (Valverde and Mas crashing hard for example, you don't want that) it's over because Ewan decided to have his worst year of his career just right when it mattered.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
It's not like those other teams aren't getting points. Everyone knows they need points now so are racing more, even Movistar is going to race some Belgian races to get random top 10s with Kanter. You just don't make up a 700 point gap without winning something big. And today should've been that day. Without anything weird happening (Valverde and Mas crashing hard for example, you don't want that) it's over because Ewan decided to have his worst year of his career just right when it mattered.

Ewan was just as bad in 2018.
 
Wellens won't ride Plouay on Sunday like scheduled, and Kron will neither. Means both are just not getting fit afther their Covid/sickness. Lotto can literally win every single sprint one day race there is with De Lie and Ewan they will still not save themselves if they can't take points with those 2 guys in harder races. Wouldn't be surprised if they'll also miss Canada, thats one 400 points race and 2 500 points races where every other team will score en bunch of points.

That's 3 guys (Cras too obviously) in their top 10 that aren't fit enought to race right now
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
With the team they'll be having next season you could say that they fit the PCT category (as the best or one of the best ofcourse). There's other teams who don't really have the team to be WT imo, but LTS is definitely one of them with their 2023 selection.

Paesschens and Livyns are both just nothing more than domestics, which they already had enough imo. They now have 22 confirmed riders, that means 5 open spots left but as there is a lack of transfer rumours I'm assuming guys like Kluge, Van Rensburg, Holmes & Vanhoucke will getting a new contract. They'll probably give another chance to guys either Verschaeve or Malecki too. I hope I'm wrong but I think this was it for transfers. Or maybe they give one of the older u23 riders a chance (Liam Slock? Van de Paar?), but honestly, I don't think any of them is that special.

EDIT: Well just when I started to believe that he might stay (because of the lack of rumours around him), Vanhoucke is on his way to DSM. Honestly being WT might be a bad thing for them. They simply do not have the riders to send to Catalunya, Itzulia, Romandie, Dauphiné & Suisse. They have like 5 riders left that can get over a mountain.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
With the team they'll be having next season you could say that they fit the PCT category (as the best or one of the best ofcourse). There's other teams who don't really have the team to be WT imo, but LTS is definitely one of them with their 2023 selection.

Paesschens and Livyns are both just nothing more than domestics, which they already had enough imo. They now have 22 confirmed riders, that means 5 open spots left but as there is a lack of transfer rumours I'm assuming guys like Kluge, Van Rensburg, Holmes & Vanhoucke will getting a new contract. They'll probably give another chance to guys either Verschaeve or Malecki too. I hope I'm wrong but I think this was it for transfers. Or maybe they give one of the older u23 riders a chance (Liam Slock? Van de Paar?), but honestly, I don't think any of them is that special.

EDIT: Well just when I started to believe that he might stay (because of the lack of rumours around him), Vanhoucke is on his way to DSM. Honestly being WT might be a bad thing for them. They simply do not have the riders to send to Catalunya, Itzulia, Romandie, Dauphiné & Suisse. They have like 5 riders left that can get over a mountain.
Van Resnburg is a good rider and addition for Lotto already this year, good support role for De Lie ...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
With the team they'll be having next season you could say that they fit the PCT category (as the best or one of the best ofcourse). There's other teams who don't really have the team to be WT imo, but LTS is definitely one of them with their 2023 selection.

Paesschens and Livyns are both just nothing more than domestics, which they already had enough imo. They now have 22 confirmed riders, that means 5 open spots left but as there is a lack of transfer rumours I'm assuming guys like Kluge, Van Rensburg, Holmes & Vanhoucke will getting a new contract. They'll probably give another chance to guys either Verschaeve or Malecki too. I hope I'm wrong but I think this was it for transfers. Or maybe they give one of the older u23 riders a chance (Liam Slock? Van de Paar?), but honestly, I don't think any of them is that special.

EDIT: Well just when I started to believe that he might stay (because of the lack of rumours around him), Vanhoucke is on his way to DSM. Honestly being WT might be a bad thing for them. They simply do not have the riders to send to Catalunya, Itzulia, Romandie, Dauphiné & Suisse. They have like 5 riders left that can get over a mountain.
Yeah, they already are PCT in essence really. I'm sure they are hoping De Lie can do for them what Van der Poel has done for Alpecin, and put them at the top in order to cherrypick the best races that suit them. At this point there is no use in them trying to stay WT with the selection of riders they have. They'd make a fool of themselves in almost every WT race they start, except for the ones where Krön, Campenaerts, De Lie or Ewan have a chance. And they can hope Vermeersch takes another step. But that's about it.

For Belgian cycling it's not a bad thing as there are already 3 other WT teams. But it's clear their fate (should they ever want to return to WT) is very much tied to De Lie.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Yeah, they already are PCT in essence really. I'm sure they are hoping De Lie can do for them what Van der Poel has done for Alpecin, and put them at the top in order to cherrypick the best races that suit them. At this point there is no use in them trying to stay WT with the selection of riders they have. They'd make a fool of themselves in almost every WT race they start, except for the ones where Krön, Campenaerts, De Lie or Ewan have a chance. And they can hope Vermeersch takes another step. But that's about it.

For Belgian cycling it's not a bad thing as there are already 3 other WT teams. But it's clear their fate (should they ever want to return to WT) is very much tied to De Lie.

Which isn't a bad thing in modern cycling luckily. It's all about stars right now and after Bretagne I'm fully convinced he can be a star classic rider, maybe not yet in 2023 (although I do see him getting some really good top 10s, maybe a top 5 and ride for the win in a race like Gent Wevelgem) but the years after, why not. With Campenaerts (who I'm convinced can still make progression even tho he's in his 30s) and Vermeersch primarely they can build a good team around him. You also have Eenkhoorn, Van Moer and a De Buyst that seems to have found his 2017/18 again. De Lie is that type of rider sponsors want to pay big bucks for to tie their name to. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ridley step up if De Lie becomes a top tier classic rider. Stars are so incredibly important for bike brands. He's obviously no Van der Poel or Van Aert and he's not going to be as good, but as long as they're a top 2 PCT team they don't need to rely on invites anyways.

With Kron, Van Eetvelt, Van Gils and Moniquet (he really surprised me this year tbh) you have some talent for the harder classics, and maybe Van Eetvelt can turn into a GC rider too (because he has a decent to good TT). It's not enough for a WT team because that's basically all you have that can ride those harder WT stage races. Guys like Sweeny, Holmes (?) & De Gendt will also be used in those but that's 7 riders. 1 selection. You can't ride Catalunya, Itzulia, Romandie, Dauphiné & Suisse with them. And we need to be honest, it's obvious that not a single (non Belgian) climber wants to sign with them right now (no WT guarantee and I also think an equipment problem, new TT bike is finally ready luckily). Even some of their Belgians are leaving, pretty sure Cras has to do with equipment (and maybe also a lil bit of money as it is Total). So in short, it's just not a good idea to stay WT, you're going to have to burn those climbing talents by using them in way to many hard races. They should be able to chose one or two of them and mix them with some easier stage races and some one day races. Basically what they did this year. I hope they learned this year that riding those smaller races isn't a bad thing for them (right now). It's not just good for points, but also for the moral as you can actually win there. Just look at De Lie, but also Vermeersch and Van Gils who both got their first pro wins this year. If they manage to stay WT, next year might be really painful as a fan. They're gonna have to make riders ride stage races that don't really want to do that. On the other hand it's a 3y guarantee so they can maybe convince riders at the end of next year to sign for them.

Anyways with how it's looking it's not going to be a choice anyways and they will relegate. If sponsors don't do weird things (I honestly don't see why a sponsor would pull out right now knowing that De Lie might be a goldmine) it isn't the end of the world right now with how good De Lie is looking. But they're gonna have to keep him happy and also hope that Ewan finds his best form again and can surprise in MSR for example and starts winning GT stages again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
I was just listening (again) to the Jonge Wolven podcast of Sporza, with Uijtdebroeks. Apparently Lotto's U23 team contacted Uijtdebroeks to see if he wasn't interested to join them, only at a moment when he was already finalizing with Bora, and after basically the entire WT had already contacted him. He said the teams who wanted to sign him. QuickStep, Jumbo, Sunweb, UAE, Movistar, Ineos, Arkea, FDJ... And at the moment he is about to sign, only then does Lotto call him. So, Uijtdebroeks is probably together with Evenepoel the biggest Belgian talent to move through the ranks in maybe 40 years. But Lotto wants us to believe that they were the ones who were first to contact Lecerf (a much lesser talent). Lecerf's side of the story is that after an initial promise of Lotto to make an offer, that he didn't hear from them a long time and by the time they eventually came forward, he had already decided/signed with QS. Obviously this is no proof, but ... if the shoe fits.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jumbo Visma Fan :)