Lotto-Intermarché continue their re-build as they go all out for the surprising Belgian champion
CyclingWednesday, 15 July 2026 at 06:00
There are no bad riders at UAE Team Emirates - XRG. That is why whenever one appears to be available on transfer market, a tough battle opens up for their services. And the 2026 Belgian champion Rune Herregodts is no exemption to this rule with Lotto-Intermarché, Alpecin-Premier Tech and several other teams displaying severe interest, HLN reports.
Herregodts kicked off his season on a high with ninth place at Mallorca's Trofeo Calvia, but then disappeared from the radar until nearly five months later, he nearly upset sprinters at the Copenhagen Sprint to finish ninth (again) from the breakaway.
That was a signal for the things to come two weeks later. First, Herregodts was left one second off medal spot in individual time trial at Belgian Championships. But he didn't give up and struck back two days later at the road race, winning from a breakaway. How else.
For Belgian teams, the recruitment of current road champion is a matter of prestige. And in the particular case of Lotto-Intermarché, also a necessity to fulfill the hole left by their expected departures for 2027.
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The Belgian team is expected to lose most of their key riders including Lennert Van Eetvelt, Arnaud de Lie, recent revelation Liam Slock, Eschborn-Frankfurt winner Georg Zimmermann or lead-out man Cédric Beullens.
As their replacement, the likes of Mauri Vansevenant, Stan Dewulf, and Juan Molano have been strongly linked with the formation in recent months.
With Intermarché as co-title sponsor, the Belgian team must also attract French riders. Previous attempts for Alex Baudin, Valentin Madouas, and Emilien Jeannière however fell through. The current French targets are experienced Guillaume Martin and Clement Venturini.
The latter may not have results at the most outstanding races to his name, but his consistency at the French Cup scene has put him well over 700 UCI points halfway through 2026. With relegation battle not exempt to Lotto-Intemarché, a consistent scorer like the Frenchman would be valued in gold.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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