Does Pidcock trigger shake-up at van der Poel’s team? Two top Belgian super-domestiques headed to Q36.5

Pidcock had pinned his hopes on the classic spring season, and he did not disappoint in the Ardennes. His best result was third place in the Flèche Wallonne, and he also finished in the top 10 in the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. However, his team provided little support for the two-time Olympic champion in the final. Apart from Pidcock's performances, Marcel Camprubí's 33rd place on the Mur de Huy was the best result in the triptych.

The British top rider needs more support, and that is clear. Q36.5 is busy looking for reinforcements for its classic core, and where better to fish than among your rivals? Het Laatste Nieuws reports that two Belgians are about to leave Alpecin-Deceuninck for Doug Ryder's team. Xandro Meurisse had already been mentioned in connection with a departure from Mathieu van der Poel's team. After five years of loyal service, during which he competed in 12 Monuments, the 33-year-old all-rounder has now decided to seek a new adventure.

The same goes for Quinten Hermans. The 29-year-old from Antwerp finished fourth in Dwars door het Hageland on Saturday and won a stage in the Baloise Belgium Tour and the Tour of the Basque Country while riding for the Roodhooft brothers. However, he could not repeat his second place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2022 (which he achieved while riding for Intermarché-Wanty). However, Q36.5 believes that Hermans still has what it takes: the Swiss team sees him as the perfect reinforcement. Moreover, he was Pidcock's teammate in the Telenet-Fidea cyclo-cross team in 2017.

According to transfer rumors, this is a significant loss for Van der Poel's team, which is facing a considerable shake-up. Last month, it was reported that Edward Planckaert, Timo Kielich, and Gianni Vermeersch might be leaving Alpecin-Deceuninck. Robbe Ghys was also said to be looking for a new team: according to reports, he will be signing with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, which will most likely continue next year with a new title sponsor, L'Oréal.

If you want a stronger spring squad, you have to bring in Belgians. That seems to be the attitude of the Pro-Continental team for 2026 because not only Meurisse and Hermans seem to be taking the plunge: Brent van Moer is also reportedly moving to Q36.5. The 27-year-old Belgian from Lotto finished fifth in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad this spring, but his results in later races were poor. However, the Flemish rider has a powerful engine and is very versatile.

Van Moer was previously associated with a transfer to Alpecin-Deceuninck and Soudal Quick-Step, but those deals now seem to have fallen through. However, there is also good news for the latter team: Yves Lampaert may be leaving the team he has ridden for since 2015, but he seems set to extend his contract. The 34-year-old classics specialist is an essential part of the team and is now the permanent road captain of The Wolfpack. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe would like to sign the two-time winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen, but he has turned them down, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.