"People I know quite closely are just left to fall out of cycling" – Victor Campenaerts deeply troubled by human cost of Lotto-Intermarché merger

Victor Campenaerts has spoken with rare candour about the personal toll of the Lotto-Intermarché merger, telling Domestique that riders and staff he has worked closely with have been left without contracts or clarity at the end of the 2025 season.

Now racing with Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the Belgian spent five seasons across two spells with Lotto and admitted he has watched the team’s transition with unease. His concern is rooted not in the project itself, but in the people affected by it.

"It's never nice when a team is closing down, it's just not good for cycling in general because there it's riders losing their job. It's staff members losing their jobs. It's management losing their jobs," Campenaerts said on the Domestique Hotseat Podcast.

He then summarised the reality more plainly: "It's people, of course, that I know quite closely who are just left to fall out of cycling. And that's not nice, of course."

Rather than criticising the merger, Campenaerts spoke with a sense of sadness for those who have not been able to secure new roles — and a quiet hope that the new structure will eventually stabilise. "I hope it brings good stuff, the fusion for them. We'll see."

Among those affected was his former teammate Jared Drizners, who faced several weeks of uncertainty before eventually signing with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe for 2026.

"If you do the Tour together with somebody in your team, you have a lifetime bond with that person," Campenaerts said, reflecting on their shared experience.

“He contacted me in October. I talked to Grischa Niermann, but I knew those spots were already filled in our team, and I couldn’t help him. I’m just so happy he found the spot [at Red Bull],” he explained.

But as Campenaerts emphasised, Drizners is far from the only rider affected — and not everyone has been able to secure a new contract. The uncertainty extends beyond riders to staff and management as well.

While the merger formed the emotional core of his appearance, Campenaerts also offered typical insight into the mental battle that defines his racing style — particularly when riding on the limit during climbs.

He recalled a metaphor from a Bradley Wiggins documentary that stuck with him. "He described riding uphill like you put your head in a bucket of water and it doesn't take so long before all you want to do is just get your head out of the bucket of water and just breathe," Campenaerts said. "That's a bit how climbing feels. But imagine you're next to somebody and he also puts his head in his bucket of water. But you know, you just know, or you are convinced he will hold his breath longer than I. Yeah, then you don't even try."

For Campenaerts, the key lies in building trust in your ability to suffer. "Once you get that confidence, you can dig so deep. It's a mental game in how you approach the pain of riding uphill, and once you are confident that you know, I can handle the pain."

He also described the resilience needed to ride on the front on flat terrain, especially in chaotic conditions. "When it's flat roads, hectic, you need to be in position, and you need like a truck that always is with his nose in the wind in the front and doesn't give away the position on the first line. It's a very tough job."