Lotto Dstny Ladies is setting its sights on obtaining ProTeam status for its women’s squad in 2025, with the aim of securing guaranteed wildcards for major races such as the Tour de France Femmes, according to the team’s sporting director, Kurt Van de Wouwer, as reported by WielerFlits.
Van de Wouwer, who has risen from managing the development squad to becoming the sporting director responsible for the entire Lotto Dstny organisation, including the men’s, women’s, and development teams, revealed that the move to ProTeam status is driven by a desire to ensure participation in key events. “We are going for ProTeam status,” he said, noting that the team’s presence at the Tour de France Femmes this year, despite not being a WorldTour team, highlights the importance of securing a stable future in the sport.
The Belgian squad participated in the Tour de France Femmes on a wildcard, but Van de Wouwer recognises the challenges that lie ahead as more teams potentially move towards the ProTeam status. “Our thought was that if many teams join in, wildcards for races like the Tour will increasingly go to ProTeams. Teams like ours, in its current form, will feel this more and more in the future,” he explained.
Van de Wouwer expressed less concern about securing entries for races like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Tour of Flanders, where Lotto’s name often ensures a spot at the start line. However, he acknowledged that missing out on the Tour de France Femmes would be a significant setback. “That is why we are motivated to apply for this status. The more ProTeams there are, the more wildcards they will take away for major races.”
Interestingly, despite the potential benefits, Van de Wouwer mentioned that there seems to be limited interest in the ProTeam status from other squads. “I’ve heard here and there that apparently there’s little interest in it. It’s also a bit of a wait-and-see situation—what the real added value will be. But we are working behind the scenes to make that step. In the early stages, I think that due to the small number of ProTeams, you’ll have a quicker guarantee of wildcards,” he stated.
Looking ahead, Van de Wouwer expects the women’s ProTeam scene to evolve similarly to the men’s, where currently 17 ProTeams exist alongside 18 WorldTeams. Lotto Dstny’s men’s squad, which was relegated from the WorldTour at the end of 2023, already operates under ProTeam status, so the organisational shift for the women’s team might not be too drastic. “Organisationally, that step won’t change much for us. There’s always room for improvement, but I think we’re doing well,” he reflected.
The major challenge, however, lies in securing the necessary budget, especially as the current sponsor, Dstny, is set to withdraw its financial support at the end of the year. “Since we will only have professional riders in the team, who therefore have to be paid the minimum wage of 20,000 euros, the budget automatically needs to go up,” Van de Wouwer remarked. He hinted at the possibility of bringing in a different sub-sponsor for the women’s team than for the men’s, noting, “That door is open.”
In addition to the financial concerns, the squad is also considering the logistical challenges that come with maintaining the required number of riders. “I thought the minimum number of professional riders you need as a ProTeam is ten,” Van de Wouwer said. “That’s manageable, but you run into problems with the calendar if you only have ten. We are currently exploring whether we can keep a continental team alongside the ProTeam for women, so we can mix between both teams, similar to what we do with the men’s teams.”
