Next season Moreno Hofland will join the Lotto Soudal team. The 25-year-old Dutch rider has signed a two-year contract. Hofland, who is now riding for LottoNL – Jumbo, is known to be a sprinter but as of next year he wants to focus more on the Flemish races.

Manager Marc Sergeant said: 

“Moreno Hofland can definitely become part of the sprint train of André Greipel. He could be the successor of Greg Henderson. On the other hand Moreno is still very young himself and he has the ambition to win and we will give him that chance. There are many races where we ride without Greipel. For those races we can already rely on a few fast guys, but an extra sprinter is definitely welcome and that’s now the case with Moreno.

“After Dylan Groenewegen joined the current team of Moreno, he got a bit sidetracked. We want to let him develop further in our team. Moreno isn’t only fast, he’s also cut out for the Flemish races with cobbles and wind. He can survive the Flemish hills. This is a second type of race we want to let him play a role in."

Moreno Hofland added:

“I have been riding for the same team for eight years now: first three years for the development team and then I rode five years for the pro team. I notice I need a new challenge and new surroundings. I was very pleased with the offer of Lotto Soudal to join the team.

“Apart from the fact that this is a new adventure there are several reasons why I specifically chose for Lotto Soudal. This team has one of the best sprint trains in the world. I am looking forward to playing a role in it to help my teammates and I also hope to learn a lot from it to become better myself. I also want to develop my Classics skills and then I’m in the right place with Lotto Soudal as well. Lotto Soudal is very experienced in the one-day races and I see that young riders with a similar profile as me are making steps forward every year. I am sure we can stimulate each other.

“In the last years I focused on the sprint and left the Classics aside, but I know those races suit me and now I want to focus on it. I’m fast after hard races or in tough finishes. That’s how I also got the role of a sprinter for the flat courses, but hard races are better for me. Next year I really want to show myself in the Flemish races and win. I haven’t won this year and in 2017 I want to start winning again.”