Lars Boom will return to Team LottoNL-Jumbo for the next two years, through 2018. The 30-year-old Dutchman rode with the Dutch WorldTour team when it raced as Rabobank, Blanco and Belkin. He will join on January 1, 2017, and lead in the spring classics.

“Lars Boom returns very motivated to his old nest,” Technical Director Nico Verhoeven said. “He proved in the past that he’s able to deliver strong performances in the spring classics and together, we want to take the final step to win a big classic race. 

“He’s a multifunctional rider. He can play a role in the sprint train and in grand tours. Besides that, we want to bring his time trial back to a level that allows him to fight for victories again.”

Boom wants to fill in the gap in his palmarès with Team LottoNL-Jumbo.

“I feel great about returning to Team LottoNL-Jumbo,” he added. “The team took some big steps in its development over the last two years while I was away. Look at the sprint train with Dylan Groenewegen and the performances in the grand tours with Robert Gesink and Steven Kruijswijk. 

“After two years with Astana, I expect to feel comfortable in the classics. The support and confidence the team gives me plays a big role in that feeling. There’s something missing on my palmarès, and that’s a victory in the big classics. Besides that, I want to get back to working on my time trial together with the team. It’s great to see how much the team invests in the development of the time trial bikes and specific training.”