Roster U23 squad 2018
Kurt Van de Wouwer, sports manager for Lotto Soudal U23, has finalized the team’s roster for 2018. Eleven new riders will reinforce the team as from January, and eleven others will leave the squad of which eight are turning professional.
Kurt Van de Wouwer: “2017 was a very good year for Lotto Soudal U23. The team won the top competition for the sixth consecutive season and the riders were competitive in all major races. Thanks to these good results, eight riders will step up to the professional level next year, and this underlines how strong the 2017 team was. Bjorg Lambrecht will ride for the elite team of Lotto Soudal, just like Harm Van Houcke who will start on the 1st of July. Five riders will go to Sport Vlaanderen next season: Robbe Ghys, Milan Menten, Emiel Planckaert, Mathias Van Gompel and Aaron Verwilst. Senne Leysen will be part of Veranda’s Willems-Crelan for the 2018 season.”
“Lotto Soudal U23 can count on many talented riders who will stay with the team in 2018. Stan Dewulf, for example, will start his third season with the U23 and he is a very promising rider for the future. Gerben Thijssen, who finished third in the U23 Paris Tour on Sunday, will also be part of the Belgian squad for 2018.”
“As far as the newcomers are concerned, Lotto Soudal U23 has been able to attract really talented young riders. U23 ITT Belgian National champion Sebastien Grignard (BEL – Sprint 2000 Charleroi) will ride for the team next season. The Walloon rider also claimed the bronze medal in the U23 ITT at the European Championships earlier this year. Loran Cassaert (BEL – Van Moer Logistics CT) will also join the ranks of Lotto Soudal U23. He finished second in both the Road Race and the ITT in the U23 Belgian Championships this year. Lotto Soudal U23 also signed Maxim Van Gils (BEL – WAC Team Hoboken Junior), who won the Classique des Alpes in June, which was the first Belgian victory in this race since Tim Wellens in 2009. Eight other young riders will join Lotto Soudal U23 next year: Stijn Daemen (NED-Davo CT – Tongeren Junior), Kobe Goosens (BEL – Marlux-Napoleon Games), Rune Herregodts (BEL- ILLI-Bikes Cycling Team), Arne Marit (BEL-VD Hauwe CT- Ghent Velosport), Julian Mertens (BEL-VL Technics-Experza Abutric), Ward Van Hoof (BEL-Acrog-Balen BC Juniors), Aaron Van Poucke (BEL-VL Technics-Experza Abutric) and Jacob Vaughan (GBR-South East CT).”
Lotto Soudal U23 2018:
Ruben Apers, Loran Cassaert, Jonas Castrique, Alex Colman, Stijn Daemen, Alfdan De Decker, Sander De Pestel, Stan Dewulf, Kobe Goossens, Sébastien Grignard, Mitch Groot, Steff Hermans, Rune Herregodts, Laurens Huys, Ward Jaspers, Arne Marit, Julian Mertens, Gerben Thijssen, Ward Van Hoof, Harm Vanhoucke, Maxim Van Gils, Brent Van Moer, Aaron Van Poucke, Jacob Vaughan and Thomas Vereecken.
Comments are closed.