Florian Vermeersch bolsters UAE Team Emirates' classics team on a two-year deal

The 25-year-old rouleur Florian Vermeersch agreed to join forces with UAE Team Emirates for next two seasons. 2025 will thus be the first time in the Belgian's career that he'll wear different than Lotto jersey, having raced for its development structure in 2020 and moving over to the main team a year later.

With a second place from the legendary rainy Paris-Roubaix 2021 and strong results from gravel including another runner-up at the World championships last year, it's not hard to see where Vermeersch's strengths are.

While UAE Team Emirates are undoubtedly the overlords of this season, if there is area(s) where they're lacking, it'd be at the cobbled classics and sprints. The latter doesn't seem to bother management too much, but on cobbles, they'd like to build a team strong enough to lead their star Tadej Pogacar to more glorious victories such as that at the Tour of Flanders 2023.

"I’m very happy and honoured to join the team next year," Vermeersch shared in press release. "It’s an pleasure to be part of the best team in the pro peloton. From my side I would say it’s a bit of a dream come true. I’m also happy and very relieved that despite my big crash and injury at the start of the year the team gave me the full confidence and believed in my strengths. I’m looking forward to meeting all the riders and staff and hopefully we can have an awesome few years together and share some nice moments."

UAE Team Emirates CEO Mauro Gianetti adds: "We are very pleased to welcome Florian into the team. He has proven pedigree as a very strong rider and will bolster our classics team as well as our stage racing squad. We hope for many good years working together."

This is already a second signing of this transfer window for UAE Team Emirates who have previously announced the arrival of Ecuadorian Jhonatan Narváez on a two-year deal.