The most enigmatic breakaway specialist of 2026 stays at Lotto-Intermarché for two more seasons as he signs new deal

No rider spent as much time in front of the peloton as Baptiste Veistroffer. The 26-year-old is only in his second professional season, but his silhouette is already well familiar to cycling fans in breakaways across the world, including no less than four times at the Tour de France. And through 2028, the Frenchman committed to continue to light up the race in the Lotto-Intermarché colours.

His heroics netted Veistroffer his first professional victory at the Tour of Oman. Meanwhile at the Grand Boucle, Veistroffer was in the running for the super-combativity award, although that eventually went to Richard Carapaz.

For his next two seasons at the Belgian formation, Veistroffer wishes for not much more than to be able to continue in the way that comes natural to him - ahead of the peloton - although he's not afraid to get work done in support of his teammates either.

"Above all, I want to keep racing this way, enjoying myself in the breakaway and at the front of the race," Veistroffer said in an announcement. "I want to keep my temperament and, most importantly, not change who I am as a rider. It feels really good to have the team supporting me in that. And why not try to do the same again at the Tour de France next year?"

At the same time, Veistroffer sees his role within the team as broader than simply looking for breakaway opportunities. "I also get plenty of opportunities to work for our leaders in races. The team puts together a race programme that really suits me and includes a lot of great races," he highlights.

Kurt Van de Wouwer, Sports Manager at Lotto-Intermarché: "Over the past two seasons, Baptiste has shown that he has a very distinctive profile. He isn’t afraid to take risks, races with a lot of initiative and, in doing so, helps shape the race. At the same time, he knows exactly when to put his own ambitions aside to help the team. That combination makes him particularly valuable to us. We believe he can continue to grow, and we’re happy that we can give him the space to develop further over the coming years."

His visibility in races aside, Veistroffer's added value is that really is such an unstoppable engine that already racked up 81 race days during the 2026 season. And the 26-year-old is far from done with home Bretagne Classic on his closest calendar.

His season will not be short either, spanning from the first WorldTour race of the year; the Tour Down Under, through Tour de France, to the final round on WorldTour calendar; the Chinese Tour of Guangxi. Add a few races in September, and Veistroffer might be looking to reach the magical count of 100 race days in 2026. Of which a large part he spends away from main pack...