Lotto Soudal prepares itself for relegation - " A team at our level can no longer go into battle full force everywhere. We are going to have to make clear choices"

Lotto Soudal is on the verge of losing its WorldTour license. The team is in a more difficult position after its CEO John Lelangue announced his departure.

The team has somewhat started to accept the decision and prepare accordingly. "Yes, we prefer to stay in the WorldTour, but is it a disaster to be at the top of the ProTeams? No. That's actually the most luxurious position. You get an invitation to all the races and can decide for yourself whether or not to take it. Somehow that's also an advantage,” said the Ceo of Lotto.

Some riders and management have already started looking for a way out while the team look at their current option. "We will have to analyze again who our spearheads are and where we can play them off. A team at our level can no longer go into battle full force everywhere. We are going to have to make clear choices."

He continues, "For example, we can expect a lot from an Andreas Kron, with the Belgian talents, we are also incredibly good, and with the older guard - such as Thomas De Gendt or Victor Campenaerts - we still see a lot of ambition. We are actually not that bad."

The team wants to keep their presence in Belgium and look for a way to gain a WorldTour license. "We want to keep finding talents to help keep the race big in Belgium. The cycling fan appreciates that, so we also want to maintain our image as a sympathetic team. It will be important to keep investing in that ecosystem."