Lotto breaks promises to staff: Longtime members forced to leave ahead of impending Intermarché merger

Both Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty are struggling to hold their own in the WorldTour. Although their performances are still solid, it is particularly challenging financially to keep up with the other teams. With a merger, they hope to reconnect with the (sub)top. But that will come at a cost.

Many riders will have to leave, but staff members will also have to say goodbye. Stéphane Heulot, CEO of Lotto, has already decided to step down from the team. Jean-François Bourlart, CEO of Intermarché-Wanty, will assume these duties when the two teams merge. This marks the end of three years under the Belgian's leadership.

But who will stay and who will leave? According to Het Nieuwsblad, Jannie Haek, CEO of the National Lottery and therefore Lotto's main sponsor, had promised that the staff of that team had nothing to worry about. That team worked with permanent contracts, whereas Intermarché-Wanty hardly ever did. So this is good news for the staff working for Arnaud De Lie, among others.

At least, that's what you would think. Because several mechanics, as well as Chief Medical Officer Milan Holvoet, have been informed that they are allowed to leave. They are all staff members who have been with the team for a long time, but that doesn't matter. Haek's promise is not being honored, all to make the team cheaper.

Now that Bourlart will take on the role of CEO of the merged team, it seems that the staff members of Intermarché-Wanty have the upper hand. What the merger will mean in the long run remains to be seen. The teams announced during the Tour de France that they had signed a letter of intent, but the official announcement is expected to follow later.