Belgian cyclist Thomas De Gendt, known for his impressive stage wins in Grand Tours, has announced that he is extending his contract with Lotto Soudal until the end of 2022. De Gendt, who has been with the team for six years, had previously agreed to stay until the end of 2020.
“It was so obvious for me. It never entered my mind to change teams. Why should I?” De Gendt stated. “Lotto Soudal knows me and gives me the freedom I need, a freedom that I would never get somewhere else. In the past, we have won many nice races together. I am convinced that together we still have nice years ahead of us.”
De Gendt, who has won stages in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España, will continue to focus on stage races. He sees himself as a support for the team’s classics specialists like Philippe Gilbert, Tim Wellens, and John Degenkolb.
“My personal dream is to win a stage in the ten biggest stage races,” De Gendt revealed. “As I have already won in Catalunya, Paris-Nice, Suisse, Romandie, and Dauphiné, I just miss Tirreno and País Vasco. Unfortunately, this will not be possible in 2020 but I hope to achieve it in the coming years, with the support of the team.”
Lotto Soudal’s General Manager, John Lelangue, expressed his satisfaction with De Gendt’s decision: “I am happy to see that Thomas loves his current environment. He can win races but is a perfect team player as well. This contract extension is good for the stability and continuity of the team. We need him. With Thomas, we continue to build on the team’s future.”
