Lotto Soudal fought a long and hard battle to stay afloat at World Tour, but failed despite the wonder results of neo-pro Arnaud de Lie. The team is now having the goal of returning to the highest level of 2026, as it's new management confirms.
Kurt Van de Wouwer, the former manager of the under-23 team who will from January onwards manage the Elites, has said in a recent interview that now “we have to let the talent we have in-house perform optimally and perform. Everyone has to stay highly motivated and get the best out of themselves to start collecting points from next season. I am convinced that Brent Van Moer and Florian Vermeersch will take another big step forward.”
With team leaders Arnaud De Lie, Caleb Ewan and Victor Campenaerts staying with the Belgian outfit, a similar season could be expected. The team will keep it's focus in the domestic classics and likely chase points, the same way Arkéa Samsic have heavily towards their World Tour promotion. Van de Wouwer however aknowledges the advantages of having been relegated.
“We have the luxury, I see it, that we are no longer obliged to ride all the races of the WorldTour," he said. "We can put together our own program and take a good look at which races we can drop.” The team had mentioned the scenario, having automatic wildcards to all events, but no obligation to ride any, effectively giving Lotto Soudal the aspect of choice when it comes to their objectives.
Read also
“In this way we can map out a balanced program in which we do not overload our riders, but still allow them to focus on certain goals," he continued. The presence in a Grand Tour, and likely several stage-races will be refused by Lotto, instead pointing their lineup towards more suitable races.
"That should be the focus. On the other hand, every year it brings with it the pressure and stress to get wildcards for important races. Because eventually the race to regain a place in the WorldTour in 2026 starts now. If you work for this team, that should automatically be the ambition," he concluded.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
The season might have just ended, the team already had its first get together past weekend full of meetings, testing and fitting towards 2023 🏋️♂️🗣️🩺 Discover our photo gallery here: bit.ly/3sq26N8
1 Comments