Lennert Van Eetvelt will join NSN Cycling Team from 2027 after signing a three-year contract through to the end of 2029, with the Belgian expected to take on a leadership role across stage races, the Ardennes Classics and Grand Tours.
The 25-year-old moves across from Lotto-Intermarché after spending his entire professional career within the Lotto structure. NSN see Van Eetvelt’s combination of climbing ability, acceleration and willingness to attack as qualities that can make him more than simply another mountain domestique.
“I was looking for an international and professional environment to take the next step in my career,” Van Eetvelt said. “NSN felt like the perfect fit for that so I’m really looking forward to joining the team and seeing what we can do together over the next three years.”
Photo Credit: Sprint Cycling AgencyVan Eetvelt already has WorldTour wins behind him
Van Eetvelt’s breakthrough came during an outstanding 2024 season.
He won the UAE Tour after taking the final mountain stage on Jebel Hafeet and overturning the general classification, then repeated the stage-and-overall combination at the Tour of Guangxi later that year.
His results have also shown that he is not restricted to week-long stage races. Third at the 2024 Clásica de San Sebastián and seventh at Il Lombardia underlined the punch that makes him useful in harder one-day races.
That same combination of climbing and acceleration produced one of his most memorable near-misses at the 2024 Vuelta a España, where Primož Roglič caught him celebrating too early on Pico Villuercas.
Van Eetvelt has increasingly been viewed as a rider capable of developing into a more serious Grand Tour option. ProCyclingUK included him among the dark horses for the 2026 Tour de France general classification, with his ability to attack on hilly and mountain stages already clear even if consistency across three weeks remains the bigger test.
NSN want Van Eetvelt to lead
NSN general manager Kjell Carlström made it clear that the signing is about giving Van Eetvelt opportunities of his own.
“Whether it’s targeting the GC in stage races, the Ardennes classics, or showing what he can do in the mountains in Grand Tours, we are excited to see what Lennert can do in NSN colours,” Carlström said.
Van Eetvelt is similarly clear about what he wants from the move.
“I want to win more races no matter what they are,” he said. “I know what my capabilities are, and I want to build the strongest palmarès I can from them so I hope to hit the ground running in 2027.”
That makes the move more significant than NSN simply adding another climber. Van Eetvelt arrives with a three-year commitment and a defined route towards leadership, particularly in stage races where his finishing speed can make him difficult to beat once the selection has been made.
NSN continue adding different types of leaders
Van Eetvelt is another major addition to a roster that is being built with several ways to win races.
Kasper Asgreen will join NSN for 2027 and 2028, giving the team an experienced leader for the cobbled Classics, while Biniam Girmay’s three-year deal through 2028 provides a proven option for sprints and harder one-day races.
Van Eetvelt fills a different gap. He gives NSN a rider who can target general classifications, attack in the mountains and still be relevant in the Ardennes.
His move has also been added to ProCyclingUK’s Men’s Cycling Transfers Hub, which is tracking confirmed moves and contract extensions ahead of the 2027 season.
After four professional seasons in the Lotto structure, Van Eetvelt will start the next phase of his career with NSN in January, with the team expecting him to race for results rather than simply provide support.
