Lawrence Naesen turns gravel privateer after not finding a team for 2024

Lawrence Naesen did not have his contract renewed by Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and, without a road team for 2024, the Belgian got creative. He decided to join the growing ranks of gravel privateers, gaining sponsorship from several top companies for his new pursuits this year.

Naesen, 31, the younger brother of Classics specialist Oliver, picked up road racing while at university and raced as an amateur with his brother before turning pro in 2017. They raced together at AG2R for the past four years. While Oliver has a contract extension through 2025, Lawrence is one of two dozen WorldTour pros who have been unable to find contracts.

Others include Joe Dombrowski, Domenico Pozzovivo, Odd Christian Eiking, Lukas Pöstlberger and Amanuel Gebreigzhabhier.

Lawrence Naesen posted on social media that he was setting up a new offroad team called "Team Law", naming sponsors Rapha, Scott Sports Benelux, Lightweight, Wahoo, Thule and Trainingpeaks, among others, as supporters for his gravel pursuits.

Other road pros have made a career of racing gravel after competing at the WorldTour level, among them Nathan Haas, Ian Boswell, Peter Stetina and Laurens ten Dam.

Naesen raced in the UCI Gravel World Championships in 2023, coming in 16th place behind winner Matej Mohoric.