After six years as a professional cyclist, Kobe Goossens began 2026 with a new job title in his Instagram bio: ‘vastgoedmakelaar’ – the Dutch term for a real estate agent.

The Belgian announced on New Year’s Day that, at 29 years old, he had called time on his cycling career. Goossens spent the past four years as part of WorldTour squad Intermarché-Wanty, but was left out of the team’s recent merger with Lotto.

“2025 marked the end of my cycling career. The end of a book, the end of a childhood dream,” Goossens wrote on Instagram.

“2026 will mark the start of a new book with ERA Vijfhoek [a real estate agency in the Belgian city of Mechelen – ed.].”

Already, the former WorldTour pro has swapped his Instagram picture to a LinkedIn-style headshot. He now appears in a beige turtleneck – instead of team kit – with folded arms and a warm smile.

Only eight riders from Intermarché-Wanty's 28-strong 2025 squad moved across to the new Lotto Intermarché, which brought the “unification” of the WorldTour squad and the former ProTeam Lotto.

Of the remaining 20 riders, Goossens is the latest of six to confirm their retirement. Tom Paquot, the youngest of the six at 26 years old, described himself as a “collateral victim” of the merger. Some, like Louis Barré, were given last-minute lifelines by other teams.

Meanwhile, eight riders from Intermarché’s now closed Wanty-Nippo-ReUz are yet to announce new teams.

After riding for Belgian Continental teams and competing in cyclo-cross, Goossens joined Lotto-Soudal’s under-23 squad in 2018 as a 22-year-old. He graduated to the WorldTour with the team in 2020, before joining Intermarché-Wanty in 2022, where he went on to spend four seasons.

The Belgian took part in all three Grand Tours across his career, riding the Vuelta a España three times, the Giro d’Italia once, and the Tour de France twice, most recently in 2024, when he won the combativity award on stage 10.

His closing palmarès counts two pro wins, which came a day apart in 2023, at early-season one-day races on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

Commenting on Goossens’s retirement, the rider's former agents at Wasserman Cycling wrote on Instagram: “A chapter closes, and a new one begins.

“Today we say goodbye to Kobe Goossens, who has decided to retire from professional cycling. After years of racing at the highest level, from victories on Mallorca to strong showings in Grand Tours, Kobe has chosen to turn the page and begin a new journey off the bike.”

The final confirmation of the merger between pro cycling teams Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty was heralded as a "new chapter in international cycling" this week, however, there is a human cost to the decision.

The "unification of two historic Belgian teams", which stretched out over months, has created a squad of 30 riders as Lotto-Intermarché. The lengthy process forced riders into a rush to find new teams for 2026 or retire, with some left in the lurch.

Eight riders moved from the now non-existent Intermarché-Wanty to the new team, while 16 remained from Lotto; the remaining six came mainly from the Lotto or Intermarché development squads.

However, two Lotto and seven Intermarché pros are still listed on PCS as being without contracts for next season: Jarne Van De Paar and Logan Currie from Lotto, and Dion Smith, Louis Barré, Gijs Van Hoecke, Kobe Goossens, Kamiel Bonneu, Kevin Colleoni and Gerben Kuypers from Intermarché. This is not definitive, with some possibly already finding places for next season, although it won't be with Lotto-Intermarché, and it isn't confirmed.

A further six from both teams retired, while 10 riders from Intermarché's closing Wanty-Nippo-ReUz development squad have no team for next year announced.

It was always certain the better-known riders would find lifeboats away from the merger; Biniam Girmay, for example, moved to NSN Cycling from Intermarché, while Alec Segaert moved to Bahrain Victorious from Lotto. However, there are still riders without jobs moving forwards. That's also without fully understanding the staffing losses, with coaches, mechanics, cooks, soigneurs and others likely missing out on spots. Two does not go into one.

Twenty-six-year-old Tom Paquot, who spent the last three season with Intermarché's WorldTour team, decided to retire. He explained a bit more about his situation in an interview with RTBF: "As soon as the first rumours surfaced in July, I made contact. But the collapse of Arkéa-B&B Hotels and Wagner Bazin-WB really complicated my search. As the weeks went by, the number of riders on the market increased.

"And then there's another problem: I'm a domestique, a very good domestique, but not a leader, and there are tons of domestiques of my style and calibre who are available.

Paquot went on to describe himself as a a "collateral victim" of the merger. "Restructuring happens in every professional sector. You have to know how to adapt and move forward," he said.

"Starting next year there will be no more numbers pinned to my back," he added on Instagram. "A chapter comes to an end, and even if it tightens my heart a little, it's time to turn the page. My story as a professional cyclist ends here."

Paquot is not alone. Lotto rider Jonas Gregaard also stepped off the bike, writing: "Choosing to retire hasn’t been easy, but it’s the right decision for many reasons. Cycling demands everything, and right now I need to give something back to myself."

The new Lotto-Intermarché team will race on the men's WorldTour next season, while there is also a women's ProTeam.

Jean-François Bourlart, the new team's general manager, said this week: "Today, thanks to the unification of two historic Belgian teams, a new chapter begins in international cycling. In recent months we have worked very hard behind the scenes to build a solid project, based on the foundations of Lotto Cycling Team and Intermarché-Wanty. We are pleased that the UCI places its confidence in us for the next three years to make this project succeed."

Days after it was announced he was leaving Intermarché-Wanty, Biniam Girmay has been revealed as an NSN Cycling rider.

The Eritrean joins the team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech on a three-year deal, a press release on Monday morning said. He will be "a marquee rider ahead of a bold new era for the team".

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Biniam to NSN Cycling Team," general manager Kjell Carlström said. "Not only will 2026 mark a new chapter for the team, but it also represents one for Biniam and I couldn’t think of a better time to embark on a new chapter together.

"Biniam represents everything we love about cycling. His talent is obvious, but his humility and drive are what make him an extraordinary cyclist. From the first conversation, it was clear he shares our vision both on and off the bike and I have no doubt he will be a fantastic fit and will be a leader of our team, inspiring our riders and the entire cycling community."

Girmay himself said: "I’m really happy to be here, especially with a new atmosphere and a new beginning, for me and for the team. As a rider, I always like to have a good environment, especially inside the team and I already heard a lot of positive things from my new teammates. When I look back at the last two years of the team, the team has improved so much. There is a really good team spirit.

"Looking at the team’s sprint train, they were always really strong, especially how they stayed together and motivated each other. I heard them many times during races, motivating each other so much, so I’m really looking forward to working together. I see a great opportunity with NSN Cycling Team and I feel that this is the best thing for my future."

The sprinter, a three-time Tour de France stage winner, had a contract with Intermarché-Wanty which ran until 2028, but amid the Lotto-Intermarché merger, has been allowed to leave.

After joining that team in 2021 from DELKO, Girmay became the first black African man to win a Grand Tour stage at the Giro d'Italia in 2022, and went on to become the first African male to win the green jersey at the Tour in 2024, when he won three stages. He also made history by winning Gent-Wevelgem in 2022.

However, Girmay said his eyes are on the future, not on what he has achieved in the past. "To be honest, I never look back at what I achieved. I always look to the future," he said. "I always care what the next step is. What’s done is already done, so I don’t want to look back or be satisfied. I always want to do more. My main objective for the future, because I’m still only 25, is simple – to win bike races.

"I really love to win at the Classics, and, for the moment, I only won Gent–Wevelgem so I still want to achieve more together with the team. I believe one day we can win one of the biggest races in cycling together."

NSN Cycling was created earlier this month after the Israel-Premier Tech licence was bought. The squad is expected to be at WorldTour level next year.

Biniam Girmay has terminated his contract early with Intermarché-Wanty ahead of an expected deal with NSN Cycling, the team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech.

The Eritrean sprinter, a three-time Tour de France stage winner, had a contract with the Belgian team which ran until 2028, but amid the Lotto-Intermarché merger, has been allowed to leave.

“It has been a wonderful journey for me with Intermarché-Wanty," Girmay said in a statement. "I am still grateful for the belief they showed in me five years ago and for giving me the chance to become a World Tour rider.

"Over these years, we built a strong bond based on mutual trust and grew together, step by step, from a lower profile to the top level of world cycling. Along the way, we worked hard and pushed each other to keep improving. We achieved great things and showed what is possible when everyone is aligned.

"I truly enjoyed working with this team — the riders, the staff, and the management — everyone contributed something important. At times, we have to embrace change. Now it is time for a new chapter, I want to thank everyone at Intermarché-Wanty for the past five seasons."

After joining the team in 2021 from DELKO, Girmay became the first black African man to win a Grand Tour stage at the Giro d'Italia in 2022, and went on to become the first African male to win the green jersey at the Tour in 2024, when he won three stages. He also made history by winning Gent-Wevelgem in 2022.

He is now expected to move to NSN Cycling, although the deal is yet to be confirmed. The new entity was created last week after the Israel-Premier Tech licence was bought. The squad is expected to be at WorldTour level next year.

"I look back on many happy and memorable moments with Biniam," Jean-François Bourlart, Intermarché's CEO, said. "We are proud of the journey we shared, where we helped transform this immense talent into a key figure in world cycling. Naturally, some moments will remain forever etched in memory, such as his medal at the U23 World Championships in Leuven, his victories at Gent-Wevelgem and the Giro d’Italia.

"The win at the Circuit Franco-Belge, in front of our partners and just a stone’s throw from our Service Course, was also a highlight. And then that victory in Turin, our first on the Tour de France, and the green jersey in Nice – these are moments forever marked in our history. Yekenyeley, Biniam!"

In the landscape of traditional cycling and its sponsors, all is not well. We have already had the announcement this week that Arkéa-B&B Hotels will be no more after this season, while sponsor TotalEnergies will also be pulling the plug on its ProTeam commitments at the end of next season.

Now there has been another announcement which, thanks to a 'two become one' situation is going to leave the WorldTour one team short.

Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty are attempting to merge, the former team confirmed on Friday. Lotto has applied to the UCI to merge the licences of the two teams, suggesting that it will be Intermarché's infrastructure that will be absorbed into that of Lotto, rather than vice versa.

"The license application had to be delivered to the UCI by October 15, and that deadline was met," said Lotto owner Captains of Cycling in a statement. "As previously communicated, the application was submitted under the Captains of Cycling structure. Through the joint Lotto-Intermarché project, the team aims to make its return to the World Tour after three years."

For Lotto, the merger would mean access to greater assets that would be invaluable in its return to the WorldTour after three years in the ProTeam ranks.

But it might not be as simple as that.

With the Intermarché team (rather than the supermarket) apparently still carrying debts that now amount to €2.5 million, according to recent reports in Belgian media, it may be that the end of the team would be nigh even were it not for the Lotto package.

The Belgian pairing's merger intentions were voiced back in the summer, and while it has been confirmed this week, the debt would appear to remain an issue. Intermarché appears to be conducting a fighting retreat, selling off assets including team buses and more to ease the situation.

For a team that rose quickly from plucky breakaway-botherers to classification-conquering Tour de France glory hunters in several short years, it looks like a sad demise, of sorts.

The likelihood is, that with Lotto apparently taking the reins, its riders in particular will need to worry about employment. Biniam Girmay for example – author of so many of the team's memorable moments – is contracted till 2028 but has already been linked to XDS-Astana. Three other riders, including Louis Meintjes, will retire.

The merger will also create unforeseen dynamics in a WorldTour that is already in flux, with this being promotion / relegation year.

Uno-X Mobility, for example, are currently sitting in 19th place in the rankings and might otherwise miss out on a WorldTour spot, but with a merger complete they magically rise to 18th place and become a WorldTour team.

Teams merging in pro cycling is nothing new. It wasn't so long ago that there were rumours that Jumbo-Visma would pair up with Soudal-Quick Step – rumours which, of course, led to nothing.

But there is a long list of those that have gone ahead – Israel Start-Up Nation and Katusha-Alpecin (2020), BMC and CCC (2019), Cannondale Garmin and Drapac (2016), and the list goes on.

Like with Lotto and Intermarche, in each of these situations, and many similar ones before it, the mergers were carried out to bolster the finances or the prospects of the teams involved, sometimes on pain of folding.

But, except for those caught up in the situations at the time, the mergers tend to become pretty forgettable pretty quickly – shoring up a team's ability to continue to exist, and maybe thrive, rather than propelling it to sudden Grand Tour winning success.

What the future holds for Lotto and Intermarché remains to be seen, but a WorldTour place alone could help bring better fortune – albeit with heightened financial obligations – and, for Lotto and Intermarché, the continuation of a 60-year combined professional history.

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) is making a name for himself during this year’s Tour de France with three stage wins to his name already. In winning stage three, he became the first Black African to win a Tour de France stage, and by winning again on stage 8 and then stage 12, Girmay is on target to becoming the next sprint king. 

These wins come after a strong start to his 2024 season, which included two top-three stage finishes at the Santos Tour Down Under and a third place stage finish during stage three of this year’s Giro d’Italia. 

Girmay, 24, is the first Black African rider to wear the coveted Green Jersey in the Tour de France, and he's fighting to keep hold of it as the Tour surpasses its half way point. Here are 13 things you should know about this living legend. 

1. Girmay hails from Eritrea, a country in eastern Africa that borders the Red Sea and has a population of approximately 6.34 million. He grew up in Asmara, the country's capital city.
2. Girmay began cycling thanks to his cousin, Meron Teshome, a former professional cyclist. 
3. Girmay’s dad is a cycling fan and as a child, Girmay used to watch the Tour de France each July on TV with his father, who would explain to Girmay how hard the Tour is and that it is the “number one sport in the world.”

4. Girmay joined the World Cycling Centre as a junior elite cyclist and became the triple junior cycling champion of Africa by winning the road race, individual time trial and team time trial in 2018. 
5. Girmay’s first professional win was in 2019 with the Eritrea National Team, where he won stage three of the La Tropicale Amissa Bongo stage race.
6. Girmay signed with Intermarché-Wanty in 2021 after having been let go from the Delko team roster earlier that year. 
7. In 2021, Girmay became the first Black African rider to finish on the podium at the UCI Road World Championships when he finished second in the U23 road race. 
8. When he was 21, Girmay became the first rider from a sub-Saharan country to win a single-day classic race when he took first place at the Gent-Wevelgem race.

9. In 2022, Girmay became the first Black African rider to win a stage at the Giro d’Italia when he won stage 10, fending off Mathieu van der Pol in a sprint finish. (Due to an unfortunate podium accident, he had to abandon the race the next day.)
10. Girmay is married and has one daughter who is three. His wife and daughter currently live in Eritrea. 
11. When Girmay won stage three of this year’s Tour de France, he became the first Black African rider to win a stage in the Tour. Girmay then won stage eight, outsprinting Jasper Philipsen and Arnaud De Lie.
12. Girmay is also the first African rider to wear the Green Jersey, which he hopes to win outright at the end of this year’s Tour de France.
13. Girmay’s idol throughout the sport has been primarily Peter Sagan, but he’s also a Mark Cavendish fan.