"Remco texted me: ‘Welcome to the team, amigo!’": Evenepoel reunites with old friend at Red Bull - BORA

The Lotto-Intermarché merger left many riders without a contract for the upcoming 2026 season. Not all of them have found a new team, but Arne Marit is one of the "lucky" ones that already has a new home, in his case at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.

The process, however, has not been easy. The final months of the season turned into an emotional rollercoaster for Marit, who briefly feared for his professional future. “Two days before the end of the season they told me I couldn’t stay with the merged team after all. It was a shock I hadn’t seen coming,” the Belgian rider lamented in an interview to Sporza.

Marit was one of the (many) casualties of the merger between Lotto and Intermarché, despite having a contract running until the end of 2026. He thought his season had been good enough to stay, but that was not the case in the end. “I felt I had ridden a consistent season, with a second place in a sprint at the Tour Down Under, third in a Vuelta sprint and fourth in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne,” he explained. “But those credentials weren’t enough to stay on board.”

The message was delivered bluntly and with little room for manoeuvre to find a new team. “The big boss at Wanty told me: ‘We have to be honest, we already have many riders with the same profile as you. It’s difficult to give all those similar types opportunities.’”

Marit received the news in mid-October, while still racing the Tour of Guangxi, where he finished inside the top 10 in two stages. “The first thing that went through my head was: ‘So late in the season, almost all team spots are filled. Where am I supposed to go?’”

A turning point came unexpectedly at the end of October. “The news came out that abnormal blood values had been found with Oier Lazkano. That suddenly freed up a spot at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. Thanks to Allan Peiper [who joined Red Bull as a strategic advisor a month ago] I received a call from the team’s new sporting director, Zakkari Dempster, who told me they were still looking for a classics-type rider.”

And Marit did not hesitate to accept the offer. “If a team like Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe contacts you, it’s a no-brainer to sign.”

The transfer also reunited Marit with an old racing friend: Remco Evenepoel. “When Remco rode his first race as a junior, he sent me a message asking: ‘Do you maybe have some tips and tricks for me?’” Marit recalled. He was immediately struck by Evenepoel’s talent. “A few days later Remco finished tenth in the Brabant time trial championship. What was remarkable was that he was the only one riding a regular road bike. I already knew then: ‘This is not an ordinary kid.’”

The bond grew during their junior years. "We even went to reconnoitre Nokere Koerse together, because Remco had set his sights on that race, which I had already won twice. That’s how the friendship developed. But over the years our contact has naturally faded somewhat, because Remco was abroad more and more often for the races."

Weeks ago, however, Marit received a message that brought the story full circle. “My transfer hadn’t been announced yet, but I had already received my bike. When I went to the Specialized Store in Geraardsbergen, Patrick Evenepoel happened to be there.” Later that evening, the message arrived. “Remco texted me: ‘Welcome to the team, amigo!’”