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

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will they get paid?

I don't think so. As the team folds, the contracts are void

 

[Samamba]

I don't think so. As the team folds, the contracts are void

Technically they need to get paid. When a team really disappears it often doesn't happen, but with mergers like this they usually get paid (for example I remember Bruyneel saying he had to pay everyone when the Radioshack and Leopard merger happened). It isn't a coincidence it's pretty cheap riders that need to go on both sides.

 

[Samamba]

According to HNB Girmay will probably stay till the end of 2026. But the more interesting thing about it is that his salary is not being paid by Intermarché Belgium (who is technically sponsoring the team), but Intermarché Frane (so the parent company) and they would not invest that money if Girmay leaves.

So Lotto does a merger with another team for their sponsor that doesn't even give a decent amount of money LMFAO this gets worse every day. Still do not understand what the positives for Lotto are.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

According to HNB Girmay will probably stay till the end of 2026. But the more interesting thing about it is that his salary is not being paid by Intermarché Belgium (who is technically sponsoring the team), but Intermarché Frane (so the parent company) and they would not invest that money if Girmay leaves.

So Lotto does a merger with another team for their sponsor that doesn't even give a decent amount of money LMFAO this gets worse every day. Still do not understand what the positives for Lotto are.

Another Jannie Haek masterclass

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

On a side note: I had the (dis)pleasure of meeting Jannie Haek recently at a corporate event. That man hasn't got a clue what happens around him. I was discussing recent changes in financial online billing with an employee working under him when he butted in on the conversation and kept saying how terrible it all was. Keep it mind he kept calling the man (his employee) by the wrong name and referred to a government initiative "Peppol" as "Pepsi".

I won't use the real name of the employee but it was as bad as calling someone Jackson when they're called Mark.

 

[Samamba]

On a side note: I had the (dis)pleasure of meeting Jannie Haek recently at a corporate event. That man hasn't got a clue what happens around him. I was discussing recent changes in financial online billing with an employee working under him when he butted in on the conversation and kept saying how terrible it all was. Keep it mind he kept calling the man (his employee) by the wrong name and referred to a government initiative "Peppol" as "Pepsi".

I won't use the real name of the employee but it was as bad as calling someone Jackson when they're called Mark.

I still don't know how he managed to get this far in his career. His mandate should be ending in 2027, but I also don't trust politics enough to be sure it won't be extended. For some reason everyone already seem to have forgotten about his scandals. 370K a year btw

 

[RedheadDane]

Bit of a stupid question regarding the merger:
Are the devo teams merging too?

 

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Bit of a stupid question regarding the merger:
Are the devo teams merging too?

the initial plan was to keep both, but so far only Lotto registered with Belgian Cycling for 2026.

 

[RedheadDane]

the initial plan was to keep both, but so far only Lotto registered with Belgian Cycling for 2026.

But surely only one of the teams can be the official devo team for the new mergee-team?

 

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But surely only one of the teams can be the official devo team for the new mergee-team?

Astana has two devo teams as well, so they could both be "official", I think - but likely only with one of them benefitting from the participation rules.

Wanty doesn't use them much anyway (I think only Kristoff did some races in Norway?), so that wouldn't really speak against it.

 

[RedheadDane]

Astana has two devo teams as well, so they could both be "official", I think - but likely only with one of them benefitting from the participation rules.

So only that team being official...

 

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So only that team being official...

no

https://assets.ctfassets.net/761l7gh5x5an/3EjeIEEJpI38fDQOoc54AI/c14ec9f058e0c2cb9f2e7f4908ac402b/Article2.2.001_Participation_Equipes_2025_18062025.pdf

 

[RedheadDane]

Sorry, it's a PDF... can you quote the relevant part?

I definitely thought that one team would be registered as the official devo team, but that a team can of course have agreements with as many conti-teams as they want.

 

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Sorry, it's a PDF... can you quote the relevant part?

I definitely thought that one team would be registered as the official devo team, but that a team can of course have agreements with as many conti-teams as they want.

it's just a UCI table which lists both of Astana's conti teams, Astana Devo and Shenzhen Xidesheng. So I would think that this means both are "official", in the way that the teams are officially affiliated according to the UCI.

The participation rule is in my opinion unrelated to that. But it of course depends on how you define "official".

 

[JRanton]

Matteo Sobrero joins Lidl - Trek on three year deal.

 

[JRanton]

Aaron Gate and Matteo Malucelli both extend with Astana for two more years.