The maneuver had surprised and agitated the Cycling community in recent days. Van Gils, the climber and great Belgian hope (25 years old), had terminated his contract with the Lotto team with whom he was engaged until 2026. He had however extended his contract a few months ago but he demanded a salary increase that the Belgian team could not agree after the loss of its co-sponsor Dstny.
“The team and the rider have reached an agreement to terminate the contract (…) with the approval of the UCI,” indicates a press release from Lotto, the team for which Van Gils has been racing for seven years.
The rider, courted by several teams (Astana, Ineos and therefore Red Bull) then decided, on the advice of his agent Alex Carrera, to unilaterally terminate his contract via registered mail.
After several days of negotiations, the different parties agreed on the compensation paid by Red Bull-Bora to Lotto and on the rider's salary (2 million euros annually according to several Belgian media).
Maxime Van Gils, 25 years old and 14th in the UCI world rankings, has revealed himself this season by collecting places of honor in several renowned races. Seventh in Milan-SanRemo, 4th in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, 3rd in Flèche wallonne and Strade Bianche, he also won the Frankfurt GP.
