Belgian climber Mauri Vansevenant will continue his career with Lotto-Intermarché. After it became clear there was no longer room for him at Soudal - Quick-Step, the 26-year-old didn't have to wait long to secure a new contract with the rival Belgian WorldTeam for the upcoming winter. The move marks a special homecoming of sorts, as Vansevenant follows in the exact footsteps of his father, Wim Vansevenant.
A proven puncheur and Grand Tour stage hunter
Growing up on his father's farm, Vansevenant developed a reputation for his distinctive riding style on the bike. He turned professional with Deceuninck-Quick-Step in the summer of 2020 and quickly became a valued member of Patrick Lefevere's squad.
He immediately made his mark in 2021 by winning the GP Industria & Artigianato, beating Bauke Mollema and Mikel Landa. Over the years, he developed into a contender in hilly classics and one-week stage races. He has also completed all five Grand Tours he has started, coming very close to a stage win in his 2021 Vuelta a España debut.
Last month,Vansevenant was notified he did not have a spot at Soudal - Quick-Step for the 2027 season, according to WielerFlits. He quickly found a new home, as Lotto-Intermarché welcomed him with open arms.
The squad was actively searching for experienced climbers to support their 20-year-old super-talent, Jarno Widar. With the contracts of current stars Arnaud De Lie and Lennert Van Eetvelt expiring at the end of 2027, Widar is currently positioned as the undisputed outright leader for the team's future, making Vansevenant's signing a crucial strategic move in the mountains.
Vansevenant has 3 professional wins
The Lanterne Rouge legacy
While Mauri has yet to make his Tour de France debut, the French Grand Tour is precisely where his father made a unique name for himself. Wim Vansevenant raced for Davitamon-Lotto (the direct predecessor to today's Lotto-Intermarché team). Rather than fighting at the front of the peloton, Wim made his mark at the very back. He holds the record for finishing dead last in the Tour de France, securing the infamous lanterne rouge for three consecutive years in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
While not an "anti-climber" by any means, Vansevenant senior knew that claiming the final spot on the general classification guaranteed massive publicity and lucrative start contracts for the post-Tour criteriums.
His 2008 finish is particularly legendary. On the final stage on the Champs-Élysées, Austrian rider Bernard Eisel dropped back from the peloton, sitting just 53 seconds ahead of Vansevenant in the overall standings. Spotting the threat to his last-place crown, the Belgian rider hit the brakes and dropped back alongside Eisel to ensure his historic three-peat.
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Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling for
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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