For a while, there has been a lot of rumours about the relationship between Lotto Soudal and Jurgen Van den Broeck. After an unsuccesful Giro, his coach Mark Lamberts is very clear. "Jurgen's time at Lotto is over. For me, he has been here two year too long. The team management doesn't believe in him anymore," he told the Mediahuis newspapers.

Van den Broeck is out of contract at the end of they year and everything indicates that we are close to an end of nine years of cooperation. However, manager Marc Sergeant will not go that far. First he wants to evaluate the Giro and talk to the management and the rider. "Then we'll see," he told Sporza.

Lamberts has already made his conlusion. "The respect for Jurgen is bigger abroad."

The coach also sees another role of Van den Broeck within a team than his current job as the clear team leader.

"Top five at a grand tour has become almost impossible. In the Giro Jurgen had the numbers his best years. You saw that in the time trial. But he weighs 70 kilograms.

"Jurgen is fighting against a new generation of climbers.. Riders like Aru and Quintana who weigh between 60 to 65 kilograms The only thing he can do is to isolate himself and starve for two months as we have done in the past, but this is Russian roulette as there is the risk of overtraining and power loss. We saw that last year.

"It seems to me more appropriate to to maintain his weight of 70 kilograms and go for 8th place. I see him like a rider like Ivan Basso: a rider who is able to ride a good GC and regularly gets his chance but who is also able to help the young climbers."