Lars Increase is leaving his position as sports activities director at SD Worx-Protime to hitch FDJ-Suez, as introduced by the group on Tuesday. The transition takes impact instantly.
The transfer has re-sparked hypothesis about whether or not Demi Vollering will observe her former sports activities director to the French group. Rumours have linked the Dutch star to FDJ-Suez for months, although no official assertion has been made to verify the transfer.
Increase, the 2008 cyclocross world champion and a stage winner in each the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, moved right into a sports activities director position after retiring in 2019, beginning at Liv Racing in 2021. The next 12 months, he moved to SD Worx-Protime, accompanying Lotte Kopecky in making the transfer.
“I’m more than happy to hitch FDJ-Suez, a group [which] has acquired a vibrant future forward. Stephen Delcourt’s imaginative and prescient for his group is fascinating and I actually needed to play an element on this. What’s coming could be very thrilling and I stay up for getting the [best] of the group,” Increase mentioned.
Increase will strengthen the group’s spring classics squad, and can work carefully with present DS, Nicolas Maire, and administrators of efficiency, Lieselot Decroix and Flavien Soenen.
“Lars Increase is an off-the-bike recruit we’ve got been ready for,” FDJ-Suez basic supervisor Stephen Delcourt mentioned. “His aptitude and sharp tactical considering, mixed together with his expertise in race course, will permit each athletes and employees from FDJ-Suez to maintain enhancing.”
The Vollering switch saga began in March when she was stunned by a press release made by SD Worx-Protime that she was leaving the group. The assertion mentioned that Vollering and her administration had been offered with a “beneficiant supply”, which wasn’t responded to earlier than a deadline, main the group to imagine she was leaving.
A month later, it was reported that Vollering was in negotiations with FDJ-Suez on a multi-year contract starting in 2025. Whereas Delcourt informed Cyclingnews that the group would touch upon such negotiations, he additionally didn’t deny the reviews.
In 2024, the 27-year-old Dutch rider claimed the general victory at Vuelta España Femenina, Itzulia, Vuelta a Burgos, and Tour de Suisse and took two stage wins on the Tour de France Femmes en path to second total.
However the group techniques on the Tour de France Femmes raised eyebrows and reignited switch rumours when Vollering – then the race chief – was left remoted after a crash with 6km to go on stage 5, finally costing the group the yellow jersey.