Intermarché expected to stick around as sponsor of merged Lotto team after all
Amid the merger of Belgian teams Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty, the supermarket chain Intermarché was not expected to stay involved; the name was not included with 'Lotto Cycling Team' on the list of WorldTeam license applicants. However, according to HLN, all parties have reached an agreement, and 'Intermarché' is now expected to be included in the team name in 2026.
As Lotto is the 'paying agent' in the merger, all Intermarché-Wanty riders are free to shop around for an alternative team, though some of them will be invited to join the merged squad. The most high-profile of the currently untethered riders is Biniam Girmay, around whom plenty of rumours have circled, including one that suggested Intermarché would only enter an association with Lotto if Girmay was also involved. News of the Eritrean sprinter's future is yet to be confirmed, however.
