After weeks of uncertainty, the merger between the Lotto team and Intermarché-Wanty is finally official. The merged team will compete as a WorldTour team in the coming years. In many countries, the formation races under the name Lotto-Intermarché, but interestingly this is not the case for France, Poland, and Portugal.
In these countries, the team will use the name Intermarché-Lotto and will also race in modified kits. In the other countries, it remains Lotto-Intermarché. The reason? Initially, it was decided that supermarket chain Intermarché would no longer be involved in the merger link, given the connection with Biniam Girmay, who has since signed a contract with NSN Cycling.
But now it turns out that the French headquarters will remain on board with the merged team. This was confirmed by Thierry Cotillard, the chairman of Groupement Mousquetaires, to Het Nieuwsblad. "With the signature of this partnership, we are writing a new chapter in our history within cycling."
"This sport is above all a story of solidarity and team spirit. It is also about closeness between our riders, the fans, and our customers everywhere along the route of the WorldTour circuit, especially in France, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland, where we are present. I wish the new Lotto-Intermarché all the best, hopefully with many podium finishes as a result."
Lotto-Intermarché has also presented its 2026 roster. The merged team of Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty includes a total of thirty riders, featuring Arnaud De Lie and Jarno Widar as the leaders. There is also good news for the Dutch: Taco van der Hoorn, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, and Huub Artz are also on the list and have contracts for this year.
