President of the CPA riders' union, Adam Hansen, has spoken out about the ongoing Lotto-Intermarché merger, saying that the team has been "dishonest" with riders and agents as the process drags on.
The merger saga has been running since it was first made public at the Tour de France, and despite the new-look team having submitted WorldTour licence documentation last month, the squad has yet to be finalised – publicly at least.
Hansen told Sporza that the team has held all the power in "a dream situation" for them, with more riders under contract across Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty than there are spaces at the new squad.
"The teams can decide whether or not to keep a rider, but the rider himself can't do anything to leave," Hansen said, pointing out that for 2026, there are a maximum of 30 spots available for the 43 riders previously under contract.
"That's why I organised a meeting some time ago with the UCI and both team managers. We demanded a list of the riders who would have to leave.
"[Meeting the riders left out] was tough. Riders trust their agents, but the team wasn't just dishonest with the riders but also the agents."
The doubts about space continue into the final months of the year, with Biniam Girmay's uncertain future holding up a spot. Hansen also spoke of a rider on the 'dropped list' whom the merged team "didn't want to let go because they kept doubting whether they might keep him at all."
He said that the team "wasn't very honest with the UCI and us" over the list of riders who wouldn't make the merged team.
"The team can decide whether or not to keep a rider on their contract, but the rider can't decide whether or not they want to stay."
Hansen said that the UCI doesn't hold much power in the situation, with Belgian labour law taking precedence. He has called for better protocols for future merger situations.
"The law even allows teams to wait until, say, December 31 to let riders know. That's the sad truth. We want a better protocol for such mergers in the future, where riders receive clarity much sooner," he said.
"If a rider is told in July or August that he can't stay and he doesn't find a team for the following year, that's partly his own fault. But if that rider only hears that in October or November – as in this case – then the fault lies with the team. All the squads are already full for 2026, and that's not fair."
Agent says '60 to 70 riders' are battling over 'eight to 10 vacancies'
The Lotto-Intermarché merger is just one part of the cycling transfer landscape for 2026, albeit a large part. A Belgian cycling agent has explained how 60 to 70 riders are currently battling over "a maximum of eight to 10 vacancies" in the peloton for next season.
The merger of Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty – teams which employed 56 across their professional men's setups last year – has left numerous riders, mostly on the Intermarché side, without a deal for 2026. Elsewhere, the collapse of Arkéa-B&B Hotels has also left a swathe of riders searching for a new team.
Dries Smets of Wasserman Cycling, an agency which represents Tim Merlier, Michael Matthews, Julian Alaphilippe, Lotte Kopecky, and Tobias Halland Johannessen, among others, told Sporza that "dozens of riders will miss out" in the search for a contract next year.
"Solutions are being sought, but it's not pleasant," Smets told Sporza. "It's the beginning of November; the holidays are almost over, and riders are starting to prepare for the new season.
"Several riders are still living in uncertainty and hope for clarity soon. The uncertainty is gnawing at them, and they're eagerly awaiting a solution."
Smets' agency represents several riders caught up in the chaos, including Intermarché-Wanty trio Arne Marit, Kobe Goossens, and Gerben Thijssen. The latter has been linked with a switch to Alpecin-Deceuninck, though Marit and Goossens haven't yet found a new team.
"It's not just the merger team, but a team like Arkéa is also closing down. Of the 18 WorldTour teams, two are disappearing, which means there are 60 fewer positions available in the job market, and that seriously increases the pressure," Smets said.
"Currently, about 60 to 70 riders are still looking for a place, while there are a maximum of eight to 10 vacancies, so dozens of riders will miss out."
Smets also called cycling a "two-speed sport", contrasting the cluster of "top teams with big budgets" with a "latter category [which] wants to stay at the top of the sport, but doesn't always find the right sponsor." As a result, riders and staff members are left in a desperate search for fewer job openings.
"They're mainly concerned about the uncertainty and job security. They need to know where they stand as soon as possible," Smets said.
"Everyone is doing their best, and this is a small world," he added, referring to managers charged with keeping teams afloat and finding new sponsorship. "I'm also aware that the economic context is very difficult.
"The biggest strength of the sport is the return on investment. The visibility is very high, and teams are named after sponsors. But budgets do indeed need to increase, even though they are already higher than they were years ago."
