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Lotto Dstny Devo Team finalises 17-rider roster for 2023
From 2023 onwards, the development team of Lotto Dstny will operate as the Lotto Dstny Devo Team. The team will also take the step to continental level next year and has now completed its roster of seventeen young talents.
2022 was a highly successful year for the Lotto Soudal Development Team. Team manager Kurt Van de Wouwer looks back on it with great satisfaction. “Prior to the start of every new season, it seems difficult to improve or at least match the performances of previous years, but we still succeed in taking new steps every year”, he says. “As a team we performed strongly, we won races with many different riders and were competitive on different terrains: at the Classics, stage races and championships. To give an example, Alec Segaert recently won Il Piccolo Lombardia, Lennert took a stage victory and finished 2nd overall at the U23 Giro. Like every year, the Belgian championships were a main goal and we managed to conquer the Belgian tricolour in all three disciplines. Jarne Van de Paar took the Belgian road title, Alec Segaert won the Belgian U23 time trial championships and also in the team time trial, we were on the top step.”
For over 15 years, the Development team of the Lotto cycling teams has been a reference in the U23 category. Meanwhile, over seventy riders have been formed into pros, amongst them Tim Wellens, Florian Vermeersch or Arnaud De Lie. “Every year, our goal is to deliver several riders to our pro team”, says team manager Kurt Van de Wouwer. “This year, Lennert Van Eetvelt and Liam Slock will take the step towards the pros. And also Alec Segaert and Jarne Van de Paar are already sure of a pro contract in 2024. In addition, four other guys have signed a contract at other pro teams. We are convinced that the selection for 2023 again includes several future pro riders. Together with the professional support of our team and the race schedule including plenty of international events against the best espoirs, we help them in bridging that last step.”
Also next year, the Devo Team will be an important part of Lotto Dstny, as the Development Team will act on continental level for the first time since its foundation. “The step towards continental level is a logical evolution. That way, our young talents will get a taste of racing with the pros at the ProSeries or .1 level. In doing so, we’re not only reducing the step towards pro level, also the integration of the young talents within our pro team will be smoother”, concludes Kurt Van de Wouwer.
These are the seventeen riders to be part of the Lotto Dstny Devo Team next year: Ramses Debruyne, Jelle Declerck, Tijl De Decker, Axel De Lie, Jelle Harteel, Branko Huys, Joshua Giddings, Robin Orins, Milan Paulus, Gianluca Pollefliet, Cameron Rogers, Alec Segaert, Jarne Van de Paar, Lorenz Van de Wynkele, Cédric Van Raemdonck, Viktor Verschaeve and Jago Willems.
Images: Facepeeters.
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