After being left without a team following the merger between Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty, Gijs Van Hoecke has finally decided to officially hang up his bike. The choice, communicated directly by the thirty-four-year-old Flemish rider through his social channels, mirrors the decision announced a few days ago by another surplus rider from the Belgian formation, Kobe Goosens, who, also left without a team after the complex operation between the two companies, opted to open a new chapter in his life, leaving the world of racing behind.

Van Hoecke, a professional since 2012 when Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator recruited him from the development team, has chosen to follow the same path, thus closing his cycling career with zero road pro victories but several prestigious wins (most notably the World Championships in Melbourne 2012 in the team pursuit) on the track.

"After 14 seasons as a professional cyclist, it's time to close this chapter," said the Ghent-born class of '91, winner of the Giro della Toscana for juniors in 2009.

"I have always enjoyed every moment, I gave my all, and I was able to live my greatest passion: cycling. Thanks to everyone who supported me over the years: family, friends, teammates, staff, and fans," continued the Intermarché-Wanty rider of the last two seasons.

"I retire with a great sense of fulfillment and the certainty that cycling will always be part of my life. I look back on what I've done with gratitude and satisfaction and am motivated to take on a new challenge, approaching it with the same commitment and passion of recent years," Van Hoecke concluded.

With his retirement from professional cycling, four riders from the 2025 rosters of Lotto and Intermarché are still seeking a placement for the new season and risk ending their careers if things do not unblock in their favor soon: New Zealanders Currie Logan and Dion Smith, the twenty-five-year-old Belgian Jarne Van de Paar, and our own Kevin Colleoni.