Devolder signs with Nick Nuyens team for 2017

Image 1 of 5

Stijn Devolder will ride for Nick Nuyens' new Pro Continental team next season according to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. The 37-year-old, Devolder has signed a one-year deal with Nuyens' outfit. The team has also added Dutch cyclo-cross rider Stan Godrie to their line-up.

The Pro Continental squad, with its sponsors Crelan and Verandas Willems, will be built from the structure of the Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental squad. Reigning cyclo-cross world champion Wout Van Aert has reportedly penned a new deal with the team, which will give him more time on the road.

Nuyens, who retired from racing at the start of 2015, took over the Crelan-Vastgoedservice earlier this year and quickly set about obtaining a Pro Continental licence. The team has hit some stumbling blocks in its bid to step up to the next level. Earlier this month, it was reported by Het Laatste Nieuws that the team had missed the initial October 1 deadline to submit their paperwork to register for the 2017 season, and they were not on the UCI's list of teams released on October 6. The team was then given until October 20 to file the necessary paperwork. An updated list has not yet been released by the UCI, but the signing of Devolder is a sign that things continue to move forward.

Devolder has been looking for a new team after his Trek-Segafredo team told him in September that they would not be renewing his contract. The Belgian had held out hope of remaining with the team, which he has been a part of since 2013, but that did not come to fruition.

A two-time winner of the Tour of Flanders, Devolder has been an integral part of the team's Classics squad, which was led by Fabian Cancellara. With the Swiss man bring his career to a close at this season, the team has been making changes to their Classics line-up.