Algemeen Lotto Dstny to collaborate with junior team Crabbé Toitures CC Chevigny
With Crabbé Toitures CC Chevigny, Lotto Dstny adds a new chapter to its youth academy. Starting next year, the Belgian WorldTour team will share experience, expertise and facilities with the team where Arnaud De Lie and Sylvain Moniquet spent their early days as a cyclist.
Lotto Dstny continues to build its youth academy. The Belgian WorldTour team has been a pioneer when it comes to youth development, with its Development Team that has been an important part of the team for more than 15 years. “Since the start of this team, young talent has played a crucial part”, explains CEO John Lelangue. “Our WorldTour team is full of talents, as is our Development Team that will step up to continental level next year, and our Ladies Team. The Ladies Team plays a crucial role within women’s cycling as a development team. We continue to invest in those teams, but have been looking for a junior team to collaborate with for a long time. With CC Chevigny we have found a perfect match.”
“CC Chevigny is very well-known club in Belgium”, says Kurt Van de Wouwer, manager of the Lotto Soudal Development Team. “We are very happy to be able to collaborate with them. They will become our eyes and ears within the junior’s peloton. Through this collaboration we can support young, talented riders from a young age on. The goal is of course, that they will step up to our Development Team or WorldTour team afterwards.”
At Crabbé Toitures CC Chevigny they view the collaboration as an acknowledgement for their hard work. “We are happy that a team as Lotto Soudal sees that we play an important role within the Belgian cycling pyramid”, says Laurent Mars of CC Chevigny. “This collaboration will mainly concern our junior team, which holds most of the best juniors of the country. But we also organize races and riders can join us from the age of 8. Arnaud De Lie has been a member for 7 years and still joins us regularly for rides or a chat.”
Lotto Dstny will share its experience, expertise and facilities with the club from the South of the country. “For example, physical tests or training camps”, continues Laurent Mars. “For a club like ours it is magnificent to be able to use those facilities. It will also be a motivation for our riders to know that Lotto Dstny will follow them closely.”
Arnaud De Lie has spent the most of his younger cycling years at Crabbé Toitures CC Chevigny and is very enthusiastic about the collaboration. “The whole club is doing an amazing job. They offer young riders a great racing program where they can all develop their talents. My best memory to my time at CC Chevigny, is my Belgian title. I hope that thanks to this collaboration, the club will be able to deliver some more Belgian champions to our Development or WorldTour Team.”
