Lotto-Soudal
Belgian | Team website
Lotto-Soudal are a likeable old-school Belgian team who walk the fine line between organisational competence and chaos. Lotto would usually attack the Tour de France on two fronts, with André Greipel in the sprints and Jurgen Van den Broeck in the overall. Neither of which worked particularly well.
On past results though, Greipel’s was also the safer bet — he eventually won 22 stages over his career. Now though, the team's form is much more sporadic, evidenced by their nineteenth-place finish in the UCI World Team Ranking for 2021.
Sponsored by the Belgian lottery and adhesives and sealants manufacturer Soudal, Lotto-Soudal started racing in 1985, and is one of the oldest teams in the peloton.
Unfortunately, Lotto were struck by tragedy in 2019, when their young talent Bjorg Lambrecht died after a crash 50km into stage three of the Tour of Poland.
Still reeling from that incident, Lotto-Soudal have struggled for victories in the past two years, and have relied heavily on talented sprinter Caleb Ewan for a large proportion of their wins.
In 2021 the Australian won a stage on the UAE Tour, the Benelux Tour, two stages on the Tour of Belgium and, most notably, stages five and seven on the Giro d'Italia. He also scored the team's joint-highest Monument race finish, achieving second at Milan-San Remo.
Perhaps the most incredible story of Lotto-Soudal's 2021 season though came from Florian Vermeersch at Paris-Roubaix. The 22-year-old surprised everyone when he managed to join a group of breakaway riders during the race, and upon coming into the velodrome at Roubaix, the young Belgian was neck and neck with Sonny Colbrelli and Mathieu van der Poel.
Colbrelli agonisingly pipped Vermeersch to the line, but he still managed to finish ahead of Van der Poel in what was a thrilling finale to an eventful race.
2021 also only yielded two top-ten finishes in the Classics, at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Amstel Gold Race, a far cry from the team's previous successes. However, Lotto are still waiting for a Grand Tour winner too, having failed to succeed in any of the three races since the team formed in 1985.
Largely comprised of Belgian riders, Lotto-Soudal also features a fairly inexperienced roster. The team hopes one day their young rides will develop into race winners.
Lotto-Soudal 2022 squad
Filippo Conca (ITA)
Steff Cras (BEL)
Jasper De Buyst (BEL)
Thomas De Gendt (BEL)
John Degenkolb (GER)
Caleb Ewan (AUS)
Frederik Frison (BEL)
Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
Kobe Goossens (BEL)
Sébastien Grignard (BEL)
Matthew Holmes (GBR)
Roger Kluge (GER)
Andreas Kron (DEN)
Kamil Małecki (POL)
Tomasz Marczyński (POL)
Sylvain Moniquet (BEL)
Stefano Oldani (ITA)
Harry Sweeny (AUS)
Gerben Thijssen (BEL)
Tosh Van der Sande (BEL)
Maxim Van Gils (BEL)
Brent Van Moer (BEL)
Harm Vanhoucke (BEL)
Florian Vermeersch (BEL)
Viktor Verschaeve (BEL)
Xandres Vervloesem (BEL)
Tim Wellens (BEL)
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‘Current WorldTour system is killing all the smaller teams,’ says Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
South African ex-Lotto Soudal rider fears more teams could find themselves in B & B Hotels-KTM situation if the system doesn’t change
By Tom Thewlis Published
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Caleb Ewan ‘not going anywhere’ after team's relegation, says Lotto-Soudal
Spokesperson for Belgian team says that Ewan has expressed desire to stay and lead the team in 2023
By Tom Thewlis Published
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Philippe Gilbert offered Lotto Soudal manager role but turned it down
The Belgian team's previous boss resigned last month
By Tom Davidson Last updated
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Lotto Soudal boss leaves as relegation looms over Belgian team
John Lelangue has been in charge of the squad for four years
By Adam Becket Published
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Teams target up to four races a day in relegation points scramble
For Lotto-Soudal and Cofidis, the racing is only just beginning
By Tom Davidson Published
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‘It's not been a great Tour for the sprinters’ - Caleb Ewan rues bad luck at the Tour de France after heavy crash on stage 13
Lotto Soudal sprinter involved in nasty crash with a teammate midway through stage into Saint-Étienne
By Tom Thewlis Published
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'I’m still having to pinch myself a little bit, what a ride!' : Reinardt Janse van Rensburg’s journey to a sixth Tour de France
The 33 year old South African rider feared his career was over before Lotto Soudal came calling.
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
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Lotto Soudal pins Tour de France hopes on 'one of the fastest riders of the peloton', Caleb Ewan
Caleb Ewan, Philippe Gilbert, Andreas Kron and Tim Wellens all make the team's Tour de France lineup
By Tom Thewlis Published
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Lotto-Soudal sign former Qhuebka-NextHash pair until end of season
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg and Carlos Barbero will join Lotto-Soudal for the remainder of 2022
By Ryan Dabbs Published
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Racing every race like it's the last of the season: how smaller teams are overperforming this year
Lotto-Soudal and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux have won 11 races between them in 2022 after just 21 in all of last year, so what's going on?
By Adam Becket Published
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Meet Florian Vermeersch, the history student and local councillor who finished second at Paris-Roubaix
The Lotto Soudal rider on living up to new expectations, the new approach of his team, and how time trialling helps in the Classics
By Adam Becket Published
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What did we learn from the first elite road races of the year?
Alejandro Valverde is still good; Lotto-Soudal are hungry for results; Biniam Girmay might be a force to be reckoned with
By Adam Becket Published
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Philippe Gilbert to target results in big races - not 'easy wins' - in his final year
The Belgian former world champion says that he won't chase easy wins after 20 years in the pro peloton
By Adam Becket Published
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Lotto-Soudal launch new kit and extend Florian Vermeersch's contract
Red returns with vengeance for Belgian squad
By Adam Becket Published
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Victor Campenaerts re-joins Lotto-Soudal as Qhubeka-NextHash sponsor troubles continue
The current world hour record holder left the Belgian team back in 2019
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
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Paris-Roubaix runner-up Florian Vermeersch posts incredible ride to Strava
The 22-year-old Belgian put in an astonishing ride on his 'Hell of the North' debut
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Last updated
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Caleb Ewan out of Tour de France 2021 with collarbone fracture
The Australian crashed in the final stretch of stage three, bringing down Peter Sagan with him
By Richard Windsor Published
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Lotto-Soudal rider sent off course as he led solo in final kilometre at Ronde van Limburg
Brent Van Moer looked in with a chance of taking his first pro victory before he as sent off course
By Richard Windsor Published
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Lotto-Soudal down to just two riders at the Giro d'Italia 2021 after Thomas De Gendt abandons
The team have struggled with injuries since Caleb Ewan left the race
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
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Giro d’Italia 2021: Caleb Ewan says stage win a relief as he targets victory in all three Grand Tours in a single season
The Australian sprinter delivered another remarkable sprint
By Alex Ballinger Published
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Caleb Ewan fires at the final moment to win stage five of the Giro d'Italia 2021
The Australian won the day as crashes affected the GC race
By Alex Ballinger Published
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Tramadol to blame for classics crashes says Lotto-Belisol doctor
Lotto-Belisol team doctor Jan Mathieu thinks that use of powerful painkiller Tramadol by some riders is causing spate of crashes
By Nigel Wynn Published
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Caleb Ewan: I practiced that attack on the Poggio many times before Milan-San Remo
Caleb Ewan has revealed he practiced following attacks on the Poggio “many times” before Milan-San Remo 2021.
By Alex Ballinger Published
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Thomas De Gendt takes solo win on Critérium du Dauphiné stage one
Thomas De Gendt also took the overall race lead and the KOM jersey on the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné
By Richard Windsor Published
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Kris Boeckmans in coma after Vuelta a España crash
Lotto-Soudal rider suffers severe facial trauma with several fractures after a large crash on stage eight
By Simon Collis Published
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Caleb Ewan: 'This proves I'm one of the best'
Ewan says his second win confirms his status amongst the world's top sprinters
By Gregor Brown Published
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Tim Wellens powers to second breakaway win of the Vuelta a España 2020 on stage 14
The Belgian led the group through the final 400 metres out sprinting the rest on a technical finish
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
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André Greipel wins opening race of 2017 Challenge Mallorca (video)
German sprinter André Greipel takes win ahead of Jonas Van Genechten and Briton Dan McLay in Mallorca
By Nigel Wynn Published
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Kruijswijk moves into Giro d’Italia pink as Chaves wins stage 14 and rivals lose time
Esteban Chaves wins stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia and Steven Kruijswijk moves into pink as Vincenzo Nibalia and Alejandro Valverde lose time
By Stuart Clarke Published