Internal drama within Lotto Soudal's management after Lelangue's "quickly leave the sinking ship"
Cycling
Lotto Soudal seems to be a decisive period, where their capacity to remain at World Tour level seems to be an impossible mission to accomplish. Although some competitive aspects will remain the same, team CEO John Lelangue has already announced his departure from the team, but it happen without unsatisfaction.
In a message on Twitter, Marc Sargeant - Lotto's manager from 2003 to 2021 - said: "Imagine you get a beautiful ship, it was well maintained for decades and yet you start to make a hole in it, but if it is sinking, first get another boat and then quickly leave the sinking ship."
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This message is assumed to be directly pointed at John Lelangue, who took over the role of CEO of the Belgian team in 2018, but has recently announced his departure following the team's inability to remain at World Tour level. Although the team is likely to receive an invitation to all World Tour events in the 2023 season due to the points obtained this year, the UCI rankings system in place was not to the liking of Lelangue.
With new management on the day, a report by Sporza also mentions the possibility of other riders departing the team amidst a complicated period, with the relegation also meaning some existing contracts may possibly be broken.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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📝 Team statement. The collaboration between Lotto Soudal and CEO John Lelangue will end after this season. Read more on our website. lottosoudal.be/en/news/detail…
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