For someone like Hans De Clercq who spent the last sixteen years of his career as a sports director with the team, the closure of Team Flanders-Baloise, which has become a second family, can only be extremely painful.

Having taken the helm of the Belgian ProTeam formation in the distant 2011, the fifty-seven-year-old sports director from Deinze has indeed become an absolute point of reference, both technical and human, within the yellow-and-blue team that could rely on him for practically half of his 33 years in professional cycling. This trajectory, unfortunately, as announced some time ago, will come to a bitter end at the conclusion of this season.

The end of this journey, therefore—that of Flanders-Baloise in the professional ranks and of De Clercq with it—will inevitably bring with it a heavy load of sadness and bitterness, only partially mitigated by the beautiful moments, the victories (55 from 2011 to today) and the enriching experiences lived throughout this path. Like the last unfortunate chapter that is about to unfold, we asked the experienced former Belgian professional (whom we met at the Arctic Race of Norway) to tell us more about it.

Hans, first of all, what was your reaction when you received the news of the closure: what did you feel?

"I was expecting the announcement of the closure. Already in May and June, in fact, we understood that the situation was decidedly complicated, so much so that the definitive news eventually came. It was much more unexpected when last year, at the beginning of July, Flanders-Baloise announced that it would stop sponsoring us at the end of 2026. So this August I was prepared, but despite that, it was still strange. The disappointment is there, especially because after some time we again had some truly talented and capable young riders who now perhaps won't have the opportunity to showcase their abilities. It's really a shame for them".

What future then awaits the team's riders and you as sports director? Have you already found a contract for next season or are you still looking for a position?

"At the moment I don't have a contract for next year and I'm not looking for anything in particular. We'll see what opportunities come up in the coming weeks, but in general I'm not nervous about it. As for the riders, we have three who have signed with a new team for 2027 and others in negotiations, so I hope that three or four more of them can find a new position. For all the others... well, it will be difficult".

With your closure, the number of ProTeam squads that have disappeared from 2018 to today will rise to 27: do you think this category will disappear completely in the coming seasons?

"I find it hard to believe because this type of team is necessary nowadays. Already 12 or 13 years ago, however, when there was talk of the UCI's intention to create, in addition to the World Tour, a Challenge Tour, meeting with several teams from the top category, you could sense that some of the major managers of the most important teams wanted this—namely, a pyramid system with a World Tour circuit comprising 18 or 20 teams, development squads for Under 23s, and a Devo team for Under 19s. Personally, I don't believe in this type of structure. At the junior level, there are indeed many truly talented young riders who need a few more years to emerge compared to others. Not all talented juniors become excellent professionals, but certainly a junior with average values can become an excellent professional, and we, for example, have demonstrated this over these last 33 years with our team: many junior and Under 23 riders of average level have become excellent professionals. I therefore believe there is still a future for teams like this, and more generally for pro formations of this level, but certainly it is not at all simple to survive. Budgets are more reduced, but currently the most difficult part is finding companies that are still willing to invest in this type of team. We happened to speak with companies that had an interest in entering the World Tour but who, when we asked for a lower budget for our team, backed away. The main mission for the future, therefore, is this: finding companies that still see reduced-budget cycling as an advantageous opportunity for them. This is the most challenging task we face today".

Do you think the UCI and perhaps national federations could do something in this regard, helping realities like yours to survive at this level?

"I don't know. I know that, at the national level, federations are already working very hard to support young riders, and if they really want to support professional cycling, that's where they need to start—from youth categories, helping Under 17s, Under 19s, and Under 23s to have more races, because races for these categories are decreasing more than expected. If we look at Flanders, today there are sometimes only one or two Under 23 races on the weekend, whereas when I was racing there were at least ten or fifteen. This, therefore, as well as finding people who still care about cycling and want to seek out companies and sponsors to move forward, is an aspect to work on and, perhaps, something the UCI should also intervene in, but it's not easy".

How serious, then, is the closure of Flanders-Baloise for the Belgian movement and the cycling world in general?

"On a global level perhaps it has a different weight, but for Belgium and especially for our region it is an enormous loss: the consequences won't be seen immediately, but certainly in seven, eight, nine years. It is also a significant loss for the track sector, because, when you think about it, all the best Belgian track riders started in our team. Here, in fact, they could rely on an excellent program and work to have more solid development and growth, but now this opportunity will be lost... So yes, for the training of young riders, especially those from Flanders, the disappearance of our team constitutes a truly serious damage".

With these colors, however, you have lived many beautiful moments: what was the most beautiful one for you?

"A very difficult question. I could mention the victory of Jelle Wallays at Paris-Tours in 2014, but also the double with him and Theuns at Dwars door Vlaanderen in 2015, the success in the road race at the national championships with Preben Van Hecke, but also the second place of Sep Vanmarcke at Gent-Wevelgem in 2010... There are many. I can only speak of the 16 years in which I was sports director, but I know that previously as well, when I was still racing, this team certainly lived memorable moments".

So there isn't one in particular.

"No. Also, for example, the victory of Dries Van Gestel in the first stage of the Tour de Fjords 2017 and maintaining the leader's jersey until the final stage is one of those memories that will remain forever imprinted in my mind. I can't choose one above all others".

Your disappointment is evident in what you are facing: it's clear that you would have really liked to continue living other seasons with this team...

"Of course, but you have to come to terms with it. As I said years ago, at some point everything ends, life as well as cycling teams. Every team will disappear and others will arrive in their place. This team is now closing, but this perhaps will give new opportunities to others, in 2027 or perhaps in 2028. We'll see. Perhaps in five years a new project like this will come to life and we'll find ourselves talking as we are today, who knows...".

Photo credit: Tuttobiciweb