Lotto supervisor Stephane Heulot has spoken concerning the difficulties his staff faces as budgets enhance across the sport, with riders leaving for bigger contracts elsewhere and the continued battle to draw sponsors.
The staff will this season be and not using a co-title sponsor after Dstny left on the finish of 2024. A number of main riders have additionally left throughout the winter as Maxim Van Gils, Florian Vermeersch, and Victor Campenaerts have all moved on to greater funds groups Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, UAE Crew Emirates-XRG, and Visma-Lease A Bike.
Chatting with Het Nieuwsblad, Heulot stated that Lotto have “carried out above our funds for 2 years already” however famous that his staff’s funds is not rising on the similar tempo as among the bigger groups within the WorldTour.
“Biking is altering at a quick tempo. A handful of groups are making the market explode,” Heulot stated. “UAE provided Florian Vermeersch double what we might provide him. So we can not compete with these groups, which isn’t our ambition both.
“But when we wish to play a job within the WorldTour in 2026, one thing must be added. Anybody who has the funds to purchase a Citroën can not anticipate to have the ability to drive a Ferrari.”
Heulot spelled out the budgetary variations inside professional biking, noting that the common funds within the WorldTour – the highest division to which Lotto is at present on monitor to win promotion in 2026 – has elevated drastically in current seasons.
“The common funds within the World Tour is at present €32 million. In 2021, you would nonetheless get there with €20 million. Final 12 months, it was €28 million. So in a single 12 months, one other €4 million have been added,” he stated.
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“A snug funds for the World Tour is subsequently nearer to €30 million than €20 million. We aren’t even at half of that €32 million. We have now to discover a answer. In reality, we now have change into a little bit of a sufferer of our personal success.”
Heulot additionally talked concerning the departure of Van Gils, who has left the staff for Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe after negotiating a departure regardless of his contract at Lotto working till 2026.
He and the staff agreed a brand new and improved contract within the spring of 2024 following a purple patch of kind, however Van Gils pursued a transfer as soon as the season drew to an in depth, searching for a bigger contract which Lotto might’t match. Heulot stated that he fears biking will proceed on this route – in direction of a “soccer mannequin” of transfers.
“A beneficiant contract the place we didn’t really feel like we have been doing a cut price. We couldn’t have foreseen that he would undergo such an evolution,” he stated. “I perceive him, a profession is brief and so much can occur. However a contract is there to be revered. Solely the legislator thinks in a different way about this.
“I worry that the soccer mannequin is more and more being transferred to biking. I remorse Maxim’s departure; I worry that sooner or later extra riders will observe the identical path, and never solely with us. We aren’t married to our riders. I defend the pursuits of the staff, they defend their pursuits.
“The way forward for biking is at risk. I’ve spoken to many individuals about this and everyone seems to be frightened. If solely a handful of groups decide who wins the races, that won’t profit the curiosity in biking.”
Regardless of the lack of a number of big-name riders, Lotto heads into 2025 with the likes of sprinter Arnaud De Lie and climber Lennert Van Eetvelt nonetheless on board because the staff takes purpose at WorldTour promotion. Each are in line to tackle the Tour de France this summer season with Van Eetvelt set to tackle the Tour of Flanders and Ardennes Classics whereas De Lie targets the cobbles and Milan-San Remo.
De Lie will begin his marketing campaign in late January on the GP Castellón and Clàssica Valenciana. Van Eetvelt will get his season underway on the UAE Tour in mid-February.
