"Why not?" - Lotto CEO puts lot of faith in Lennert Van Eetvelt's Tour de France GC bid

2025 may not be the perfect year for financially struggling Lotto, but the Tour de France is a big goal for the whole team with no less than three leaders lining up for Grande Boucle. Arnaud de Lie for sprints, Jenno Berckmoes to hunt for stages and Lennert Van Eetvelt - that's the masterplan of the Belgian team. The latter in particular will carry a notable weight of expectations on his shoulders in July.

"The goal is a good place in the general classification. We are mainly focusing on stages that suit him, but we are also not ruling out a top ten in the classification," CEO Stephane Heulot says about the ambitions for upcoming Tour at RTBF. "Why not?" 

For Van Eetvelt it's a first Tour de France and also first serious GC bid. The 23-year-old can capitalize on his experience of having ridden the Vuelta a Espana twice in his career. Last year, the Belgian seemed on a good way to rank high in the standings after first week, but was forced to abandon the race after stage 11. Now has come time for a rehearsal.

"We know he has never ridden a Grand Tour where the classification was at stake, but we are taking it day by day," Heulot added. It'll be a bit of trial by fire for Van Eetvelt who, depsite having won the UAE Tour and Tour of Guangxi last year, still has little experience as a classification rider.