ProTeam Welcomes Back Harm Vanhoucke to Lotto Dstny
Harm Vanhoucke, the 26-year-old rider, has re-joined Lotto Dstny, signing a contract with the Belgian team until the end of 2024. Vanhoucke previously raced with the U23 team before moving up to the professional team in 2018. During his time with Lotto Dstny, Vanhoucke showcased his climbing skills, securing third place in stages of the Giro in both 2020 and 2021, and coming close to his first professional victory in the Sibiu Cycling Tour in 2022.
After a year with Team DSM, Vanhoucke has returned to Lotto Dstny by mutual agreement. “I have fond memories of my time in this team and I’m very happy to return to this family,” Vanhoucke said. “I’m making a fresh start here and want to be the rider I was before.”
Speaking about his decision to return, Vanhoucke mentioned that he had been following Lotto Dstny’s progress and saw that the team was making positive steps and investing in the future.
Vanhoucke’s goals with Lotto Dstny remain the same. He aims to perform well in smaller one-week stage races like the Sibiu Tour and the Deutschland Tour and provide support to the team in the Ardennes Classics. Vanhoucke expressed his excitement about working with Maxim Van Gils, who has shown great progress this year, and Andreas Kron, and promised to do his part in their races.
Sports manager Kurt Van de Wouwer expressed his satisfaction with Vanhoucke’s return, highlighting his climbing abilities and the importance of strengthening the team in that area. Van de Wouwer also mentioned Vanhoucke’s successful performance in the Giro in 2022, where he played a crucial role in Thomas De Gendt’s victory. The team expects Vanhoucke to continue to impress in the coming months and years.
Overall, Vanhoucke’s return to Lotto Dstny has been welcomed by both the rider and the team as they look forward to achieving new successes together.
