Belgian media have reported that a major financial obstacle is delaying Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty's fusion to form a single WorldTour team for 2026.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Intermarché-Wanty's cycling team currently has a €2.5 million debt, roughly 15% of their annual budget, which has indirectly led to their Lotto counterparts reneging on their previous promise to staff that all their jobs would be guaranteed in the future merged team.
Nine Lotto employees, including three mechanics and a team doctor, were told late last week they would no longer have a job with the team.
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At the same time, in a bid for greater financial solvency, Intermarché-Wanty have opted to sell some of their vehicles, including a current team bus.
Het Laatste Nieuws asked Lotto about the reason for the lay-offs, but the team refused to comment until next week. The coming week already has one major landmark for the new squad, as October 15 – next Wednesday – is the UCI deadline for teams to present their financial portfolios for the following year, and as such, an unwritten limit for the fusion to take place.
Multiple Belgian media, including Sporza have said the fusion is still going ahead. But the last-minute obstacles are making it a more turbulent process than expected.
The future of one of the star names, Biniam Girmay, also continues to be enshrouded in mystery. Strongly rumoured at one point to be heading for Israel-Premier Tech -and prior to Monday's news that the team will be changing its name in 2026 - the deal reportedly has yet to be completed and he may yet remain with the newly fused squad.
Meanwhile, according to Sporza, both Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty's Devo teams will continue to exist, while there are plans for Lotto's women's team to move up to ProTeam level. A first meeting of the newly fused senior men's team is also planned for late October.
The new-look squad will retain Lotto's ownership structure and will likely race in the WorldTour on Lotto's license as the team is all-but-confirmed to be promoted for the 2026 season.
