With only a little more than two months to go before the start of the 2026 WorldTour season, the relationship status of Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty remains stuck on "it's complicated." The two teams are expected to merge but their marriage – first reported months ago – has been pending for quite some time, and the drawn-out process of coming together has left more than 40 riders and 200 staff in a state of uncertainty that has dragged on and on.
Lotto and Intermarché filed the necessary paperwork for a merger and WorldTour license with the UCI by an October 15 deadline, which both the teams and the governing body have confirmed, and now it's up to the UCI to approve of the merger – but that has yet to happen. At the same time, several details of how this is all supposed to work out remain un-finalized, or at least unpublicized. As the waiting game continues, it's the riders and staff who are dealing with the consequences.
Joe Lindsey
For those who haven't followed every twist and turn of this story, here's where things stand as of November 12.
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