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

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According to Jose De Cauwer (Belgian commentator) Intermarché and Lotto are going to merge. Does it deserve its own thread?

Dutch article:
 
According to Jose De Cauwer (Belgian commentator) Intermarché and Lotto are going to merge. Does it deserve its own thread?

Dutch article:
I think it deserves a specific thread, yes.
 
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Doesn't exactly fit in here, but for what it's worth. According to Le Soir there aren't only talks between Lotto and Intermarché for a merger, but also between Alpecin and Q36.5... Alpecin needs money desperately and Q36.5 is looking for cheap (or expensive, depends on how you look at it) ways to get to the WT. Belgium could be going from 4 to 2 teams in the WT. Or 3 if Decathlon takes a Belgian license, but that would be a fake Belgian team.

Also according to Le Soir, Girmay is not going to Astana.
 
Doesn't exactly fit in here, but for what it's worth. According to Le Soir there aren't only talks between Lotto and Intermarché for a merger, but also between Alpecin and Q36.5... Alpecin needs money desperately and Q36.5 is looking for cheap (or expensive, depends on how you look at it) ways to get to the WT. Belgium could be going from 4 to 2 teams in the WT. Or 3 if Decathlon takes a Belgian license, but that would be a fake Belgian team.

Also according to Le Soir, Girmay is not going to Astana.
Very bad sign for the state of the sport when a team with Van der Poel and Philipsen can't find a sponsor, we have not seen the like since HTC folded 14 years ago. Between this and the Tour viewership numbers (which are down literally everywhere), it's clear that the current era is turning into an abject disaster in all aspects.
 
Doesn't exactly fit in here, but for what it's worth. According to Le Soir there aren't only talks between Lotto and Intermarché for a merger, but also between Alpecin and Q36.5...
there are probably lots of good reasons for not happening, but if Remco leaves QS I would’ve liked to see a Alpecin-QuickStep merger instead of Alpecin and Q36,5…
 
According to Jose De Cauwer (Belgian commentator) Intermarché and Lotto are going to merge. Does it deserve its own thread?

Dutch article:
Looks like Baloise want in on the action and merger and they want to create and I quote "A superteam"