New Lotto Soudal sponsor admits he "might not have signed a sponsorship contract" if he knew of team's relegation chances

Lotto Soudal have endured a rough year, with Arnaud de Lie the clear outlier when it comes to performances. The team has failed to secure it's future at World Tour level, and Dstny - who will be the main title sponsor in the coming two seasons - CEO revealed he may not have signed the deal if he knew what layed ahead.

CEO of the brand that is set to headline the Belgian team, Daan de Wever, has told Het Laatste Nieuws that "had I known in January what I knew in mid-May, I might not have signed a sponsorship contract. Since then we have had many conversations with the board, management, the riders and everyone involved in the cycling team. That has given us a lot of confidence for the future. It is clear that we have to start building the team again.”

“I had a clause that I could withdraw the sponsorship if the team went down. That would have been the easiest solution," he said, however the had of the interactive communications tools company has kept his confidence in the team, and has maintained the contract that has been signed throughout 2023 and 2024.

Ahead however, lays a difficult path to return to the highest level. "Victories in Belgium are nice, but as an international company, that doesn’t help me. If we can catch up step by step, I am convinced that we can look up again," he said, outlining that there will be clear priorities for the team to perform outside of it's luxurious domestic calendar in Belgium.