Teams & Riders The Great Big Cycling Transfers, Extensions, and Rumours Thread

[GenericBoonenFan]

Also they signed that dude from the AG2R Dev squad that sounds like a brand of vacuum cleaners.
https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/baptiste-veistroffer

 

[Samamba]

Van Gils has a 2025-26 deal with Lotto. so either a fake rumor, or Lotto is really in trouble after DSTNY stops at the end of this season, so they won't have to pay Van Gils' wages and get a nice buy-out money from ChinAstana

It's not a fake rumor and it's definitely not the second option either. He has a new agent and you can guess who based on what's happening. He is being underpaid (should've thought about that before signing an extension but ok) and simply wants more money (Lotto doesn't have any). Contracts don't matter anymore and Van Gils is - just like almost every rider - not really happy with all the mess behind the scenes at the team created by the Lottery. Also another Lotto rider is supposedly involved in the deal (someone who has been waiting on a contract but Lotto can't give it yet cause well no money).

Lotto is probably going to sink a bit more before they somehow pull off a sponsorship like Soudal once again.

Sadly this time they will go down for good. It was their last shot after dropping from WT. Finally opened their eyes that something had to change but it looks like the national Lottery already went back to their ways of scaring everyone away thinking it won't bite them in the ass later.

They'll make a fool of themselves in the WT if they get it in 2026 and will just drop down again (for good) after 2028. Talents won't sign for the devo team anymore either. It was their last chance and they are fricking it up

 

[Raf]

Dutch newspappers said that van Bekkum from Visma devo to Astana,
and Colby Simmons should find another team on CT level, because he left Visma devo.

 

[RedheadDane]

and Colby Simmons should find another team on CT level, because he left Visma devo.

Maybe he can join the other Lidl brothers at the Future Racing Team.
Though, it's unsure if Martin Pedersen will be with the team next year.

 

[pastronef]

Sadly this time they will go down for good. It was their last shot after dropping from WT. Finally opened their eyes that something had to change but it looks like the national Lottery already went back to their ways of scaring everyone away thinking it won't bite them in the ass later.

tell me more

 

[Samamba]

tell me more

Meeh it's complicated, but basically it all stems from the Lottery wanting to be the first name sponsor while not spending more than 6-7M a year, even tho there have been sponsors that wanted to invest more but that obviously also came with some demands (first name sponsor, certain riders, etc.). They want a secondary sponsor that just gives money and doesn't demand anything, which is just unrealistic. There's also the CEO of the Lottery that's a weirdo, and it's now pretty known in Belgium so lots of company's don't really want to be associated right now. It's a mess. Team will just be called Lotto next season, there's apparently some negotiations with some bigger players going on for 2026, but I'll believe it when I see it.

One of the downsides of the lottery is that it is a government company so it works ridiculously slow, and that has it effects on the team. Every small decision needs to pass the board of directors (of the team, not the Lottery, but it's similar) and it annoys the hell out of hard working people within the team. It was apparenlty way better the last 2 years, Dstny pushed a different "work style" and everyone liked it, but again, the Lottery's CEO didn't like it that Dstny pushed things. Just all about ego's. Now that there are also money problems it's horrible again, with riders having to wait to sign contracts for multiple months while having a verbal agreement, etc.

 

[pastronef]

Meeh it's complicated, but basically it all stems from the Lottery wanting to be the first name sponsor while not spending more than 6-7M a year, even tho there have been sponsors that wanted to invest more but that obviously also came with some demands (first name sponsor, certain riders, etc.). They want a secondary sponsor that just gives money and doesn't demand anything, which is just unrealistic. There's also the CEO of the Lottery that's a weirdo, and it's now pretty known in Belgium so lots of company's don't really want to be associated right now. It's a mess. Team will just be called Lotto next season, there's apparently some negotiations with some bigger players going on for 2026, but I'll believe it when I see it.

One of the downsides of the lottery is that it is a government company so it works ridiculously slow, and that has it effects on the team. Every small decision needs to pass the board of directors (of the team, not the Lottery, but it's similar) and it annoys the hell out of hard working people within the team. It was apparenlty way better the last 2 years, Dstny pushed a different "work style" and everyone liked it, but again, the Lottery's CEO didn't like it that Dstny pushed things. Just all about ego's. Now that there are also money problems it's horrible again, with riders having to wait to sign contracts for multiple months while having a verbal agreement, etc.

wow it sucks. that's the umpteenth example of how some things never change in pro cycling, the disasterclass some managements and sponsors keep having year after year after year is baffling

 

[Axel Hangleck]

wow it sucks. that's the umpteenth example of how some things never change in pro cycling, the disasterclass some managements and sponsors keep having year after year after year is baffling

Sounds like one sponsor wants things to stay the same, Belgium focused, and insular. The other realises it's 2024 and you have to look internationally........

 

[Samamba]

Sounds like one sponsor wants things to stay the same, Belgium focused, and insular. The other realises it's 2024 and you have to look internationally........

Not really as you can perfectly focus on Belgian riders if you have the money. But limited money + focus on Belgians isn't going to work if you want to play in the highest devision no.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Meeh it's complicated, but basically it all stems from the Lottery wanting to be the first name sponsor while not spending more than 6-7M a year, even tho there have been sponsors that wanted to invest more but that obviously also came with some demands (first name sponsor, certain riders, etc.). They want a secondary sponsor that just gives money and doesn't demand anything, which is just unrealistic. There's also the CEO of the Lottery that's a weirdo, and it's now pretty known in Belgium so lots of company's don't really want to be associated right now. It's a mess. Team will just be called Lotto next season, there's apparently some negotiations with some bigger players going on for 2026, but I'll believe it when I see it.

One of the downsides of the lottery is that it is a government company so it works ridiculously slow, and that has it effects on the team. Every small decision needs to pass the board of directors (of the team, not the Lottery, but it's similar) and it annoys the hell out of hard working people within the team. It was apparenlty way better the last 2 years, Dstny pushed a different "work style" and everyone liked it, but again, the Lottery's CEO didn't like it that Dstny pushed things. Just all about ego's. Now that there are also money problems it's horrible again, with riders having to wait to sign contracts for multiple months while having a verbal agreement, etc.

Tbh, can't see Jannie Haek be the CEO after 2025.
Or sooner depending on when we get a national government...rumour in the wetstraat is that MR and N-VA want to clean things up in the national lottery.

 

[Samamba]

Tbh, can't see Jannie Haek be the CEO after 2025.
Or sooner depending on when we get a national government...rumour in the wetstraat is that MR and N-VA want to clean things up in the national lottery.

I know, but Haek might be a complete moron, he at least "likes" the team enough to make sure it exists as certain politicians rather have them not sponsoring/owning the team at all, so it doesn't mean a change would be better necessarily. We'll see, the main problem is that there is no long term vision. It's hard to build knowing things might change every year.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

I know, but Haek might be a complete moron, he at least "likes" the team enough to make sure it exists as certain politicians rather have them not sponsoring/owning the team at all, so it doesn't mean a change would be better necessarily. We'll see, the main problem is that there is no long term vision. It's hard to build knowing things might change every year.

That's true, but those politicians aren't backed by enough voters, so for the foreseeable future Lotto will keep existing.

 

[LongtimeLurker]

Van Gils has a 2025-26 deal with Lotto. so either a fake rumor, or Lotto is really in trouble after DSTNY stops at the end of this season, so they won't have to pay Van Gils' wages and get a nice buy-out money from ChinAstana

There is truth in that, he has now just signed with Carrera who in turn is shopping him all over for 2025 onwards and to get out Lotto

 

[pastronef]

There is truth in that, he has now just signed with Carrera who in turn is shopping him all over for 2025 onwards and to get out Lotto

but if he's got a valid contract with Lotto for 2025-26 I hope Lotto gets some buy-out money

 

[MLKarlos]

It does not exactly sound like Widar will move to Red Bull.

Cyclisme. Interview - Stéphane Heulot : «Widar ? On lui a dit qu'on n'était pas ravi...»

Que se passe-t-il entre la Lotto Dstny et son jeune crack Jarno Widar ? Vainqueur du Tour d'Italie U23, de l'Alpes Isère Tour, du Tour du Val d'Aoste...

www.cyclismactu.net

 

[Samamba]

It does not exactly sound like Widar will move to Red Bull.

Cyclisme. Interview - Stéphane Heulot : «Widar ? On lui a dit qu'on n'était pas ravi...»

Que se passe-t-il entre la Lotto Dstny et son jeune crack Jarno Widar ? Vainqueur du Tour d'Italie U23, de l'Alpes Isère Tour, du Tour du Val d'Aoste...

www.cyclismactu.net

This is 13 days old. Things happen fast, as long as you don't see any confirmation about him signing a new contract at Lotto, it's very easy to buy him out.

 

[MLKarlos]

This is 13 days old. Things happen fast, as long as you don't see any confirmation about him signing a new contract at Lotto, it's very easy to buy him

Hm…maybe there is no confirmation of a new contract because he had a valid one anyway?

 

[Samamba]

Hm…maybe there is no confirmation of a new contract because he had a valid one anyway?

He can unilaterally break his contract at the end of 2025. Lotto is not going to put energy and money into him if he is about to leave before he goes pro. They would just be developing someone for another team. So basically they either change that contract (more money, without the clause) or they let someone buy him out now. There is no point in keeping someone that doesn't want to stay.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Also they signed that dude from the AG2R Dev squad that sounds like a brand of vacuum cleaners.
https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/baptiste-veistroffer

Means nothing to me, I must be either dim, likely, or live in the wrong country.
Now if he was called Henry or Sharky...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Now if he was called Henry or Sharky...

For people of a certain age, that can only mean one thing. I apologise for the earworm to those people in advance.

 

[RedheadDane]

Reuben Thompson signs a two-year deal with Lotto Dstny | Lotto Dstny

Another new reinforcement for the 2025 Lotto Dstny Team: Reuben Thompson. The 23-year old rider from New Zealand joins the squad for the next two seasons.

www.lottodstny.be

Means nothing to me, I must be either dim, likely, or live in the wrong country.

I'm pretty sure I live in the wrong country, but there's something about the word "Veistroffer" that sounds vacuumey to me.

 

[Salvarani]

Reuben Thompson signs a two-year deal with Lotto Dstny | Lotto Dstny

Another new reinforcement for the 2025 Lotto Dstny Team: Reuben Thompson. The 23-year old rider from New Zealand joins the squad for the next two seasons.

www.lottodstny.be

I'm pretty sure I live in the wrong country, but there's something about the word "Veistroffer" that sounds vacuumey to me.

Imagine if someone else just said that on top of the page.

 

[RedheadDane]

Imagine if someone else just said that on top of the page.

My comment about Veistroffer sounding vacuumey was a reply to Wyndbrook saying you probably have to be belgian to understand it.

 

[Movitrain]

I came to greatly dislike transfer season as a Movistar supporter, and it's been like this for a while. Everybody gets to show off their new shiny toys while I scroll through dozens of pages to maybe get a crumb of information about which young spanish talent or which big rider Eusebio managed to disgruntle this time around.

 

[Samamba]

I came to greatly dislike transfer season as a Movistar supporter, and it's been like this for a while. Everybody gets to show off their new shiny toys while I scroll through dozens of pages to maybe get a crumb of information about which young spanish talent or which big rider Eusebio managed to disgruntle this time around.

Movistar is apparently in pole position for Castrillo, but of course with Aranburu and Lazkano leaving it would still be a bad transfer period for them. It's pretty simple, they have one of the lowest budget in the WT probably by now. Just how it goes, take it from a Lotto fan, you'll get used to it

Aular and Tesfatsion were also rumored. The first one not 100% sure given the Caja Rural clinic case is still running. And I'm guessing they are also trying to get Berrade