The merger between Intermarché-Wanty and Lotto claimed another victim this week, Belgian rider Tom Paquot announcing his retirement from the sport at just 26.
At the end of a three-year contract with Intermarché-Wanty, the Walloon rider was unable to secure a ride in what is a rapidly contracting job market for riders. The peloton has been badly affected this year, with the merger between the two Belgian outfits now dragging on for almost five months since it became public during the Tour de France.
The closure of the Arkéa-B&B Hotels team has further restricted jobs at WorldTour level, while Paquot’s former team, Continental level Wagner-Bazin-WB, has also gone out of business. The combination of these mergers and closures leaves more riders than jobs and huge uncertainty.
“As soon as the first rumours surfaced in July, I made contact. But the collapse of Arkéa-B&B Hotels and Wagner Bazin-WB really complicated my search. As the weeks went by, the number of riders on the market increased. And then there’s another problem: I’m a domestique, a very good domestique, but not a leader, and there are tons of domestiques of my style and calibre who are available!
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