Lotto Dstny have brilliantly evolved many talented Belgian riders and will without a doubt take the step to World Tour level in 2026. However with a budget that is far from the top teams and so many talented young riders, it was not possible to keep them all, and Maxim van Gils as terminated his existing contract until 2026 with immediate effect likely to join a different team.
Het Laatste Nieuws reports that this has happened and with immediate effect. It is clear that this will eventually lead to a transfer to another team and the Belgian news outlet claims that Astana, Movistar, Ineos Grenadiers and Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe are all teams that had contacted the 24-year old. Seemingly, he would also have around €1 million to receive over the upcoming two seasons, which he may have to compensate to the team if there is no friendly agreement - a sum that could however be payed by another team.
It is unclear what will happen to van Gils but there will be no shortage of teams seeking to sign him, and most likely this decision comes following guarrantees of another team to support him if there is a complaint or lawsuit from Lotto Dstny, whom he had an agreement with until the end of the 2026 season.
This has the potential to be one of the transfers of the winter taking into consideration how much he has performed this year. By order, van Gils has won the Vuelta a Andalucia, was third at Strade Bianche, seventh at Milano-Sanremo, third at Flèche Wallonne, fourth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, won Eschborn-Frankfurt and the GP des Kantons Aargau and was still fourth at the GP de Montréal... We are talking about one of the most consistent classics specialists of the year and one who is evolving into becoming one of the world's best without a doubt.
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Dit zat er al een tijdje aan te komen... Maxim Van Gils zegt tweejarig contract op bij Lotto Dstny, de ploeg reageert gechoqueerd.
— Bram Vandecapelle (@bvdecape) November 19, 2024
Als Van Gils vrijgeraakt is Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe topkandidaat om hem over te nemen.
https://t.co/RcaLksy5HK
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.
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
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