Lotto-Intermarché have continued their transfer shopping spree by adding Frenchman Guillaume Martin to their 2027 roster.
Martin turned pro with Wanty-Groupe Gobert, which merged with Lotto at the end of last season, spending four seasons with them between 2016 and 2019, so his move away from Groupama-FDJ United on a one-year contract is something of a homecoming for the 33-year-old.
With only 11 victories to his name - and none at WorldTour level - Martin has never been a serial winner, and both he and his new team realise that, with his role being partially to guide what is a young squad. However, he will also have chances to chase his own victories at the Belgian squad.
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"Since our first period together, he has gained a huge amount of experience at the very highest level; that experience is extremely valuable in our young squad," said team CEO Jean-François Bourlart.
"Guillaume showed again at the recent Vuelta that he can still perform at a very high level. We want to give him the freedom to pursue strong results of his own. That combination makes him a very valuable addition to our team."
A talented climber, Martin was briefly the answer to the eternal question of where France’s next Grand Tour would come from, but he was unable to kick on. However, his Grand Tour palmarès is one many would envy. He has two GC top-10s at the Tour de France in 2021 and 2023, also finishing 11th, 12th and 13th overall at his home Grand Tour. In 2020 he won the mountains classification at the Vuelta a España, and was ninth overall the following year, and only last week bagged 11th place overall.
"I may have flown a little under the radar over the past two years. I still believe I have what it takes to fight for a top-ten finish in a Grand Tour," Martin said in a team statement. "Finishing eleventh in the recent Vuelta reinforces that belief.
"The WorldTour remains my terrain, and I feel I still have something to achieve there. The Giro d’Italia is the only Grand Tour in which I haven’t finished in the top ten yet, so that remains a dream of mine. But of course, the Tour de France is also on my mind. For every French rider – and really for every rider – it remains a very special race.”
Martin is well known as one of the peloton’s intellectuals, holding a Master’s degree in philosophy and authoring books discussing the philosophy and society within the sport.
Martin is the seventh addition to Lotto-Intermarché’s 2027 roster announced so far, with three joining from their Lotto-Groupe Wanty development team and Clément Venturini, Juan Sebastián Molano and Stan Dewulf also joining next year.
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