Big news for brothers Christoph and Philip Roodhooft on Friday afternoon. Not only were they able to announce their new second title sponsor Premier Tech, but they also finalized their 30-rider roster for 2026. With eleven riders leaving and twelve newcomers, there are quite a few changes, which according to sporting director Christoph, do not weaken the core around Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel.
With Robbe Ghys (Decathlon CMA CGM), Quinten Hermans (Pinarello-Q36.5), Xandro Meurisse (Pinarello-Q36.5), Fabio Van den Bossche (Soudal Quick-Step), Gianni Vermeersch (Q36.5), and Timo Kielich (Visma | Lease a Bike) departing, the team has lost several big names who have made their mark in the classics. On the other hand, the arrival of some talents from the development squad along with Florian Sénéchal, Gerben Thijssen, Maurice Ballerstedt, Hugo Houle, and Lindsay De Vylder stand out as key additions.
"I’m very happy with our roster," says Christoph Roodhooft to Cyclingflash.com. "I think we will have a strong team for next year. We did lose quite a few riders. There was even talk of a mass exodus, but I believe there has been somewhat of a natural selection in many respects. There are guys who have been able to improve themselves financially a lot, which they deserve."
How difficult was it to let those riders go?
"When riders come to take them, that’s not always pleasant or fun. But it confirms that we’re doing something right. We have brought people to a level we're proud of. Now it's up to them to stay there. We're trying to do special things with the riders we have now."
Has the uncertain market presented you with certain opportunities in terms of riders?
"We didn't let that situation guide us. We have been cautious, like in other years. First, we took things in, then looked around to see how we could bring in quality riders in a good economic way that we believe is necessary. And now Premier Tech comes on board, which is a bonus. But even without that agreement, we wanted to be competitive in 2026."
The Roodhooft brothers secured Premier Tech – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
"That's possible with this team. But with Premier Tech stepping in, the situation becomes a bit more flexible, allowing us to do things that speed up the process. This opens up room to pursue extra sporting matters, like wind tunnel testing."
Were those riders not leaving because you lacked a second title sponsor and had to watch your budget?
"Not really. Quinten Hermans had his first contacts back in January. Of course, money is involved in such cases. Then it’s up to us whether to respond or not. We had votes on some matters; other deals were already decided before we really felt we were contenders. There are deals we gladly accepted, others we regret a bit. But that’s part of what we do."
Which rider do you see as the biggest loss?
"Edward Planckaert seemed about to leave (the lead-out of Jasper Philipsen was reported to Soudal Quick-Step, ed.), but he turned things around just in time, and we’re happy about that. That would have been a loss. We brought Edward to a level where he can be a decisive factor in sprints. That would have been a shame. Xandro Meurisse is also a loss, unfortunately. But I won’t name names because those you don’t mention might feel unappreciated, and that’s certainly not the intention."
"We worked with all those guys for years. That eventually comes to an end. Timo Kielich rode with us for nine years, but now he gets a chance at Visma | Lease a Bike. It’s only natural he wants to take that opportunity."
You already indicated you feel the team has strengthened. Do you mean you’ve gotten direct replacements for riders like Hermans and Vermeersch, or are you also relying on the growth of talents like Tibor Del Grosso to fill that gap?
"It has indeed been a long time since we had that kind of talent at that age, like Tibor Del Grosso. Overall, if we can get everyone to their true potential, we can build a stronger spring classics team than we had before."
Will Del Grosso become one of the leaders alongside Van der Poel? – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
With Del Grosso and Kaden Groves as potential third and fourth leaders, alongside Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen?
"Yes, something like that. In races like Dwars door Vlaanderen, those men need to make their mark or at least be able to compete for the win at the right moment. Tibor was already sixth there last year. Now he needs to be in the group sprinting for the victory."
Last season, you won two monuments again and three stages in the Tour de France. What’s still on the wishlist?
"We had an amazing streak in certain races, I think everyone agrees on that. The hard thing about those kinds of runs is knowing that eventually, there will be an end. I’m definitely not looking forward to rolling into the San Remo parking lot without a win. We won there three years in a row. It's tough and particularly challenging to keep facing that."
"We still want to make a bit of history. That's possible with the riders we have, and certainly thanks to Mathieu van der Poel as the leader. The next three years are the right time for that. It doesn’t necessarily all have to happen next year."
What is clear after seeing your transfer policy is that you’re continuing on the known path and primarily want to score in the classics and sprint races.
"I think it's important to keep doing what we're good at. That’s not so straightforward. You have to work on it; it doesn’t come automatically. We feel it’s hard enough to keep performing at 100 percent. Especially because we see other teams also understand that winning is not easy. There are more contenders on the coast. There are certain races in a season you shouldn’t go to aiming to win; we all know that."
But also enough top races where Mathieu van der Poel is among the main favorites.
"When Tadej Pogacar starts, it’s often very tough. Van der Poel is often the only one able to answer if Pogacar is in form. But staying competitive in every aspect, both equipment and riders, is a huge challenge. Winning ultimately may or may not come after that."
