Lennert Van Eetvelt leaves Lotto for major leadership role at NSN

The 25-year-old Belgian has been recruited as one of NSN's new leaders, with the team planning to give him opportunities in stage races, the Ardennes Classics and Grand Tours.

The move brings an end to Van Eetvelt's long association with Lotto. He developed through the team's under 23 structure before stepping up to the professional ranks in 2023 and has spent his entire professional career with the Belgian formation.

Van Eetvelt had been linked with a move away from Lotto-Intermarché for several months, with a number of teams reportedly interested in the Belgian. NSN have now secured his signature as part of an increasingly ambitious build towards the 2027 season.

“I was looking for an international and professional environment to take the next step in my career,” Van Eetvelt said in a press release by the team. “NSN felt like the perfect fit for that so I’m really looking forward to joining the team and seeing what we can do together over the next three years.”

Van Eetvelt's arrival gives NSN another rider capable of targeting general classifications while also offering options in harder one day races.

His breakthrough came in 2024, when he won the UAE Tour after taking victory on the final climb to Jebel Hafeet. Later that season he added another WorldTour stage race to his palmarès by winning both the decisive fifth stage and the overall classification at the Tour of Guangxi.

The Belgian also showed his potential away from stage races that year. He finished third at the Clásica de San Sebastián and seventh at Il Lombardia, results which underline the range NSN hope to develop further.

His progress has not always been straightforward. Knee problems disrupted his 2024 season after his UAE Tour victory, while an early crash derailed his Tour de France debut in 2025 and eventually forced him to withdraw before stage 15.

Van Eetvelt returned to the Tour this summer and made it to Paris despite racing part of the second half of the race with a fractured rib. He eventually finished 41st overall, having earlier taken sixth on stage three. More recently, he finished second overall at the Arctic Race of Norway after taking second on the summit finish to Storheia.

For NSN general manager Kjell Carlström, it is Van Eetvelt's combination of climbing ability and aggressive racing that makes him an important addition.

“Lennert has already demonstrated his ability to win at WorldTour level, particularly in demanding stage races, and we believe he can continue to develop over the coming seasons with us,” Carlström said.

“Whether it’s targeting the GC in stage races, the Ardennes classics, or showing what he can do in the mountains in Grand Tours, we are excited to see what Lennert can do in NSN colours.”

Van Eetvelt himself is clear that adding victories will be the priority when he starts the next chapter of his career.

“I want to win more races no matter what they are,” he said. “I know what my capabilities are, and I want to build the strongest palmarès I can from them so I hope to hit the ground running in 2027.”

Van Eetvelt is the latest significant addition to NSN's 2027 roster. Santiago Buitrago has already signed a three year deal through 2029, while former Tour of Flanders winner Kasper Asgreen will arrive from EF Education-EasyPost and 21-year-old Jens Verbrugghe will step up from the NSN Development Team.

There will also be changes in the opposite direction. Marco Frigo will leave NSN for UAE Team Emirates-XRG on a two year contract, while Joseph Blackmore is set to continue his career with Netcompany-Ineos.