Yentl Vandevelde has signed a contract with Flanders-Baloise. The Belgian rider was unexpectedly forced to leave TDT-Unibet at the end of 2023, despite giving the team its biggest win last season. Vandevelde did not seem to be able to find a new team for a long time, but now he has succeeded.
At the end of September, the 23-year-old rider received bad news from TDT-Unibet. "I have been told that I cannot stay with the team. I was given the excuse that I wouldn't be able to handle the level next year. It's just incredibly strange. I asked a few times why I couldn't stay, but I never got a clear answer. It all feels a bit ungrateful. I am the rider who takes the biggest victory of the team, but I am not allowed to stay."
After weeks of searching, a new team did not seem to be possible. "I have contacted almost every team, because I don't have a manager. Each time I was told that it is too late, that they are full. Or maybe they underestimate me, because I have ridden so much in service," Vandevelde said in conversation with WielerFlits.
Flanders-Baloise has still found a place in the selection for Vandevelde. The Belgian ProContinental team has offered Vandevelde a contract for two seasons.
New Team 🎉 Thanks for this opportunity! 🤩
✍🏼 Zesde nieuwkomer voor Team Flanders - Baloise 2024 2025: Yentl Vandevelde @vdv_yentl We are pleased to welcome Yentl Vandevelde to Team Flanders - Baloise in 2024 2025 Yentl comes over from @tourdetietema 👉 teamflanders-baloise.be/nieuws/leesnie… 📸 @GettyImages
