This is a story about broken promises, power struggles, fabrications, how business acumen was put ahead of loyalty, and, at the end of it all, the sudden dismantling of one of cycling's most successful sprinting dynasties. This is the story of how and why André Greipel left Lotto Soudal.
It's May, and on the outskirts of Liège, in a hotel near the airport, Lotto Soudal's management are meeting with Greipel. It is the first sit-down conversation over a proposed contract and just a few days earlier, Greipel had helped himself to two stage wins and the points jersey at the Tour of Belgium. At that point, the German's win tally for the year stood at six, while another sprinter, Caleb Ewan of Mitchelton-Scott, was stuck on two.
Unbeknownst to Greipel, Ewan had already agreed to terms and would move to Lotto Soudal at the start of 2019. Greipel's wins would count for nought.
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In truth, Lotto Soudal had been looking at bringing Ewan on board for some time. They had scouted him in previous seasons, but Greipel was still on his A-game and Mitchelton-Scott secured Ewan for a further two seasons at the start of 2016. Interest appeared to wane when Mitchelton-Scott announced that Ewan would make their Tour de France team, but the Australian team's ploy turned out to be a pointless gesture.
The real catalyst for change came at the start of 2018, however, when Lotto Soudal reshuffled their management structure.
Paul De Geyter was one of the most prominent and successful rider agents in Europe. He worked with a flurry of high-profile stars and would typically sign neo-professionals without taking a commission on the basis that he would only take a cut if and when they signed their second deals. He was regarded as one of the best in the business.
Departure
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/transfer-mechanics-andre-greipel-lotto-soudal-and-the-end-of-the-road
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