Lotto-Dstny CEO pushes back after Van Gils saga: "Next time, we’ll show our teeth"

The story has made the rounds in the media: Van Gils kicked off 2024 in incredible form and signed an improved three-year deal with the team that developed him. But his star kept rising. After strong performances in the Italian spring classics, he delivered solid results in the Ardennes and clinched victory at Eschborn-Frankfurt, securing a major points haul for Lotto-Dstny.

With his market value soaring, interest from other teams and the temptation of a transfer wasn’t far behind. Lotto-Dstny couldn’t financially match the offer Van Gils and his new agent, Alex Carera, were looking for. Eventually, a deal was struck with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, leaving the Belgian team without their best scoring rider for 2025.

“There wasn’t much we could do,” Heulot explained. “Belgian law is very tolerant, and it’s not in line with our values to sideline a rider for seven or eight months. Maxim gave a lot to this team, and while I don’t agree with how it all played out, we have to accept that contract breaches are becoming part of the sport. It’s frustrating because we had a three-year vision with Maxim, Lennert Van Eetvelt, and Arnaud De Lie. It’s a shame that this happened in November.”

One case Heulot is determined to handle differently is that of Jarno Widar, another top Belgian prospect. He’s not planning to let Widar slip away as easily as Van Gils. “We’re working on it, but it's certain that what happened with Van Gils won’t happen again. Next time, we’ll show our teeth,” warned the Lotto-Dstny boss.