After the UCI officially awarded a three-year WorldTour licence to the now-official Lotto-Intermarché merged organisation, the team announced a 30-rider roster for the men's WorldTour. The team also stepped up their women's outfit from a Continental license to ProTeam status, with 14 riders on the roster for 2026.
The UCI's announcement also confirmed that Cofidis would no longer be a part of the WorldTour after failing to make the top 18 in the three-year UCI Team Rankings, while Uno-X Mobility have been promoted to the WorldTour through 2028. The French team missed the top 18 by just 397 points over three seasons.
For Lotto-Intermarché, the merger was not an even split. Most of the riders came from the 2025 Lotto team, with 20 of their riders remaining, while only eight riders moved across from the Intermarché-Wanty organisation.
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However, Intermarché-Wanty's General Manager Jean-François Bourlart will lead the merged team as CEO and Aike Visbeek takes the reins as performance manager after serving as a director sportif with Intermarché-Wanty. Lotto's DS Kurt Van de Wouwer will take the role of sports manager in the 2026 team.
The team's equipment sponsors come mostly from Lotto, with Orbea, Vermarc, Ekoï, and Caps, while Intermarché-Wanty's bike sponsor Cube will support TotalEnergies in 2026.
"Today, thanks to the unification of two historic Belgian teams, a new chapter begins in international cycling," Bourlart said in the team's announcement. "In recent months we have worked very hard behind the scenes to build a solid project, based on the foundations of Lotto Cycling Team and Intermarché-Wanty.
"We are pleased that the UCI places its confidence in us for the next three years to make this project succeed. The recognition of the UCI ProTeam status for the women's team also makes us happy. Preparations for the new season are now in full swing, with the first collective training camp in Spain currently underway. I already feel a strong enthusiasm throughout the entire team."
The team held onto sprinter Arnaud De Lie and climber Lennert Van Eetvelt, winner of the UAE Tour and Tour of Guangxi in 2024, as well as Classics specialists Jasper De Buyst and Taco van der Hoorn. However, they lost Biniam Girmay to the ex-Israel-Premier Tech team, NSN.
Van de Wouwer emphasised the team's continuing commitment to developing young riders between the WorldTour squad and the 20-rider Lotto-Wanty development team.
"Newly crowned European champion Jarno Widar joins the pro squad, and with Huub Artz and Felix Ørn-Kristoff, we welcome two more former European champions from the youth categories. It demonstrates the potential of our group and the quality of our development programs," Van de Wouwer said.
"Talent development remains one of our key pillars in the renewed structure. In recent seasons, both development teams together delivered more than 26 riders to the pro ranks. With combined expertise, I am convinced we will continue to be one of the best continental development teams with Lotto-Wanty."
Visbeek said he "conducted an in-depth analysis of both performance organisations" in deciding which staff to bring on. "It quickly became clear that each team has complementary strengths. Lotto Cycling Team has strong collaborations with Ghent University and the department of Professor Jan Boone, coupled with a great deal of knowledge in nutrition under the leadership of Britt Lambrecht.
"From Intermarché-Wanty, we bring a tightly structured and methodical approach with a clear focus on R&D, along with technical innovation driven by Head of Equipment Mikey van Kruiningen. Bringing all this knowledge together today is a tremendous asset in elevating the new team to an even higher level."
Of course, with every merger comes a load of riders and staff left looking for new positions elsewhere. Of the combined teams' riders, 16 have found homes for 2026, six have retired, and the status of nine riders is still unknown.
Lotto-Intermarché for 2026
Lotto-Intermarché Men
- Arnaud De Lie (Lotto)
- Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto)
- Cédric Beullens (Lotto)
- Felix Ørn-Kristoff (Wanty-Nippo-ReUz)
- Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Huub Artz (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Jarno Widar (Lotto Development)
- Jasper De Buyst (Lotto)
- Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto)
- Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Joshua Giddings (Lotto)
- Lars Craps (Lotto)
- Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto)
- Liam Slock (Lotto)
- Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto)
- Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Luca Van Boven (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Mathieu Kockelmann (Lotto Development)
- Matthew Fox (Veloce Club Rouen 76)
- Matys Grisel (Lotto Development)
- Milan Menten (Lotto)
- Reuben Thompson (Lotto)
- Robin Orins (Lotto)
- Roel van Sintmaartensdijk (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Sébastien Grignard (Lotto)
- Simone Gualdi (Wanty-Nippo-ReUz)
- Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto)
- Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Toon Aerts (Lotto)
- Vito Braet (Intermarché-Wanty)
Lotto-Intermarché Women
- Dina Boels (Lotto)
- Julie Brouwers (neo)
- Katrijn De Clercq (Lotto)
- Elisabeth Ebras (BePink)
- Romina Hinojosa Cruz (Lotto)
- Marieke Meert (Volkerwessels)
- Annelies Nijssen (neo)
- Linda Riedmann (Visma-Lease a Bike)
- Ilken Seynave (Lotto)
- Sandrine Tas (neo)
- Lea Lin Teutenberg (Lotto)
- Anna Van Wersch (Lotto)
- Sterre Vervloet (Lotto)
- Lani Wittevrongel (Lotto)
Transfers out
- Francesco Busatto (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
- Gerben Thijssen (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
- Alec Segaert (Bahrain Victorious)
- Hugo Page (Cofidis)
- Eduardo Sepúlveda (Continental)
- Henri Vandenabeele (Flanders-Baloise)
- Dries de Pooter (Jayco AlUla)
- Lorenz van de Wynkele (Lotto-Wanty Development)
- Biniam Girmay (NSN)
- Alexy Faure Prost (Picnic-PostNL)
- Brent van Moer (Pinarello-Q36.5)
- Arne Marit (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
- Jarrad Drizners (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
- Laurenz Rex (Soudal-Quickstep)
- Alexander Kamp (Uno-X Mobility)
- Arjen Livyns (XDS Astana)
2026 Team Unknown
- Dion Smith (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Gerben Kuypers (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Gijs van Hoecke (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Jarne van de Paar (Lotto)
- Kamiel Bonneu (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Kevin Colleoni (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Kobe Goossens (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Logan Currie (Lotto)
- Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty)
Retired
- Adrien Petit (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Elia Viviani (Lotto)
- Jonas Gregaard (Lotto)
- Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty)
- Tom Paquot (Intermarché-Wanty)
