'I want to win more races no matter what they are' – Lennert Van Eetvelt switches Lotto for NSN in three-year deal

NSN have signed Belgian racer Lennert Van Eetvelt on a three-year deal, the team announced on Thursday.

Van Eetvelt joins after racing for Lotto-Intermarché for the past four seasons, having come up through Lotto's development ranks.

During his time as a pro, Van Eetvelt's standout results have included wins at the 2024 UAE Tour and Tour of Guangxi. He also has a podium at the 2024 Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa to his name, as well as top-10 results at the Volta Catalunya, Strade Bianche, and Il Lombardia.

"Lennert Van Eetvelt is a rider we have followed closely over the past years, and we’re very pleased to welcome him to the team," said NSN general manager Kjell Carlström.

"Lennert has already demonstrated his ability to win at WorldTour level, particularly in demanding stage races, and we believe he can continue to develop over the coming seasons with us."

After a strong 2024 campaign, Van Eetvelt's progress has seemed to stall in the past two seasons. The 25-year-old hasn't won a race since Guangxi two years ago, left his Tour de France debut last year following a crash, and made little impact on this year's race after going into it with a rib injury.

Results have been more positive recently, however, with Van Eetvelt racing to second overall at the Arctic Race of Norway. He's set to take on the GPs de Québec and Montréal and Il Lombardia before the year is out.

“What stands out is not only his climbing ability, but also the way he races. He is willing to take opportunities when they present themselves and has shown that he can finish off races against strong competition," Carlström said.

"Whether it's targeting the GC in stage races, the Ardennes classics, or showing what he can do in the mountains in Grand Tours, we are excited to see what Lennert can do in NSN colours."

Having raced on junior squads in Belgium before joining the Lotto setup, Van Eetvelt said he's now looking forward to working in an international team for the first time.

"I was looking for an international and professional environment to take the next step in my career. NSN felt like the perfect fit for that, so I'm really looking forward to joining the team and seeing what we can do together over the next three years.

"I want to win more races no matter what they are. I know what my capabilities are, and I want to build the strongest palmarès I can from them, so I hope to hit the ground running in 2027. I'm confident I have made the right choice, and together, we will win races."

Analysis

Dani Ostanek

With Van Eetvelt's departure, Lotto-Intermarché find themselves dealing with major turnover at the top end of their roster heading into 2027. The climber joins Classics and sprint leader Arnaud De Lie on the outgoing list.

Losing their big-name riders is something Lotto have dealt with before, of course, with the likes of Tim Wellens, Maxim Van Gils, and Victor Campenaerts also having left in recent years. It's not an easy thing to go through every few seasons, but it's the reality of life for a team on the lower end of the WorldTour budget scale.

The Belgian squad has come through it before, most recently by placing faith in their internal development system, the one which brought through both Van Eetvelt and De Lie. They'll do that again next year, with no fewer than eight of their contracted riders for 2027 aged either 20 or 21.

The young talent on their squad includes 20-year-old Jarno Widar, currently shining at the Vuelta a España, promising fast men Steffen De Schuyteneer (21) and Huub Artz (24), and one to watch for the Classics in 25-year-old Jenno Berckmoes.

Lotto's future remains bright despite this loss of key riders, and it makes sense for them to continue looking to the future rather than commit high wages to a rider who hasn't performed for several seasons.

For Van Eetvelt, it remains to be seen whether a change of scenery will put him back on the trajectory he seemed to be on a few years ago. He still has to hit the heights of that 2024 season, which also saw him narrowly miss a Vuelta a España stage win after celebrating prematurely before he later abandoned due to breathing difficulties.

Will he get back on track and become a leading one-week stage racer? Or even excel in the Grand Tours (he was in the running for a top-10 finish at the end of the opening week of that 2024 Vuelta)? Switching things up may just be what he needs to rediscover that form.

He joins Kasper Asgreen and Santiago Buitrago in signing up for the NSN project next year, the trio joining Biniam Girmay as an interesting set of leaders for the new-look team.

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