After losing Thomas Degand, Wanty-Groupe Gobert have found the replacement for the Belgian climber. Yannick Eijssen will join the team from BMC.

Yannick Eijssen has signed a one-year agreement with Wanty-Groupe Gobert. The 25-year old rider from Balen, Belgium, will be replacing Thomas Degand. According to team manager Jean-François Bourlart, Eijssen, who is a strong climber, will be a good match to replace Degand who is leaving for IAM Cycling. 

Eijssen started his career as stagiair with the Silence-Lotto team in 2009 and rode for the BMC Racing Team from 2011.

“Naturally I am very happy that a team like Wanty-Groupe Gobert gives me this opportunity. I followed the team’s results this season and they are a good team with very capable people.”

Eijssen completed the Vuelta a España twice and started the Tour de France this year in support of Tejay van Garderen. When Eijssen rode in the U23-category he won the prestigious and demanding Tour de l’Isard in the French Pyrenees.

“I have ridden in support of big champions like Cadel Evans. Van Garderen and Philippe Gilbert in recent years. I learned a great deal there and improved every year,” Eijssen explains.

“With Wanty-Groupe Gobert I hope to get some good results in smaller stage races like Tour de Mediterrannée, Tour de Wallonie or the Tour of Luxembourg for example. I would also love to ride the Ardenness Classics like Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Flèche Wallonne. Unfortunately I never got the chance to do so with BMC,” Eijssen concludes.

Wanty-Groupe Gobert already announced the  signing of Marco Marcato. Key riders like Bjôrn Leukemans, Roy Jans, Jérome Baugnies and Kévin Van Melsen have extended their contracts with the Belgian procontinental team ranked second in the Europe Tour this year.