While Deceuninck – Quick-Step extended the contracts of two riders last weekend, Lotto-Soudal’s internal turmoil is increasing. Riders with an expiring contract are still faced with an embargo to negotiate until August 1. And the staff are also getting louder and louder against the imposed statute of technical unemployment.
–
After chef Carol De Dobbelaere previously decided to hand in his chef’s hat, the Lotto-Soudal staff has already left three. Mechanic Frederik Moons and caretakers Kurt Wouters and Hans Van Hout leave the team – whether or not out of necessity. Moons mainly wants job security and financial stability and has therefore terminated his contract after eight years in mutual consultation with immediate effect. Wouters has found a new challenge off the course, but will still give his notice. Van Hout’s forced departure does raise eyebrows. He didn’t want to respond. Both Wouters and Van Hout were old within the team with more than fifteen years of service.
Staff turnover within teams is normal, but not during the season and certainly not with experienced workers. At the beginning of the corona crisis, Lotto-Soudal placed the employees in technical unemployment and that approach seems to be causing increasing dissatisfaction within the group. In addition, the team already lost some valuable elements last winter, such as team leader Bart Leysen (now at Alpecin-Fenix) and chief physician Servaas Bingé. A caregiver was recently retired with Marc Van Gyseghem (60). He will soon be working temporarily at… Deceuninck – Quick-Step. The tandem Sergeant-Frison was also forced to take a step back.
At the same time, riders with an expiring contract are also starting to worry. Stan Dewulf (AG2R) is the first to visit other places. The contracts of Thomas De Gendt, Tosh Van der Sande and Jelle Wallays, among others, will also expire soon.
–
