The Lotto and Intermarché merger - Where do things stand?
Belgian cycling is on the verge of a major reshuffle. Two of the country’s long-established teams, Lotto and Intermarché–Wanty, are preparing to join forces in 2026. What began as exploratory talks in the summer has now become a project both sides treat as a near certainty. So what do we actually know so far from the various reports?
The motivations behind the merger are as much about survival as ambition. Lotto, supported by the national lottery for over forty years, has seen its resources stretched since relegation from the WorldTour in 2022 and the departure of co-sponsors. The team has fostered talents like Arnaud De Lie and Lennert Van Eetvelt, but retaining such riders beyond their breakthrough years has proved almost impossible without stronger financial backing.
Intermarché–Wanty, meanwhile, climbed to the sport’s highest level and delivered spectacular victories with Biniam Girmay, yet always on one of the smallest budgets in the division. With Wanty set to step away as co-sponsor in 2025, their long-term future was equally uncertain.
A merger promises both stability and scale, with the new Lotto–Intermarché structure expected to sit firmly in the mid-tier of WorldTour teams by budget, based on the combination of the two squads’ current resources. The Lotto brand remains, Intermarché has committed until at least 2028, and Orbea is expected to supply bikes for the new team. The idea is not to rival the wealth of UAE Team Emirates or Ineos Grenadiers, but to secure a sustainable place in the peloton and keep Belgium visible at the highest level.
The main hurdles for the merger will not be financial but practical. Together, Lotto and Intermarché already count over 40 riders under contract for 2026, well above the UCI’s maximum of thirty. That imbalance means the combined organisation cannot avoid slimming down.
Some of the overflow can be absorbed into the development programmes, but it is clear that several riders will eventually need to look elsewhere once Lotto formally becomes the paying agent. For those coming from Intermarché, the transition is simpler since their deals do not automatically carry into the new structure.
The question of who stays and who goes will dominate the coming months. One of the central figures in that debate is Biniam Girmay. Intermarché insiders maintain that the Eritrean star is open to continuing under the new structure if the right guarantees are in place, but his future remains uncertain. Several WorldTour teams, including UAE Team Emirates, Astana and Israel–Premier Tech, have all been linked with a move for the 25-year-old, making his retention far from straightforward.
Alongside that uncertainty, Lotto’s Belgian backbone is already secured. Arnaud De Lie, Lennert Van Eetvelt and the fast-rising Jarno Widar are all under contract and are expected to form the foundation of the new project.
And while the roster is already crowded, management has made it clear that the ambition is still to create enough space to bring in new transfers, meaning the exercise is far from finished.
What about the women? Their programme is set for a major upgrade. Intermarché has never had a women’s team, but Lotto does. With new UCI rules coming into force next season, Continental women’s squads like Lotto will no longer be allowed to race WorldTour events. To remain eligible to race at the highest level, the team plans to move up to ProTeam status, which requires at least ten riders on full professional contracts and will demand significant investment.
The cyclocross connection is also under discussion. Lotto has a partnership with Deschacht–Hens–FSP that runs until the end of this calendar year, while Intermarché has three riders under contract through 2026. The ambition is to continue the program, though details need to be finalised.
And as with almost any merger, significant changes in staffing and leadership are expected as the two organisations come together. Jean-François Bourlart, who has led the Intermarché structure for more than a decade, is set to become general manager. Lotto’s Stéphane Heulot, by contrast, is unlikely to keep his position. Sporting leadership is likely to be shared between both camps, with Aike Visbeek and Kurt Van de Wouwer tipped for central roles.
Although the final details still need to be settled and nothing has yet been officially confirmed, there is little doubt that this is a logical step for both teams. While Lotto and Intermarché have managed in recent years to stay afloat with limited means, the growing pressure of rising costs and dwindling sponsorship has made the merger an essential consolidation.
It gives Belgian cycling a stronger platform in the WorldTour, with the stability to retain its best riders, develop new talent and compete with greater security in the years ahead.
