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Lotto Soudal's manager: "The race to regain a place in the WorldTour in 2026 starts now"
CyclingFriday, 28 October 2022 at 13:00
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.
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“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.
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