Just like previous years the WorldTour team of Lotto Soudal gives a few U23 riders the chance to become a trainee. This year the team chose three riders from the own U23 team: Kevin Deltombe (22), Michael Goolaerts (22) and James Callum Shaw (20).

Kurt Van de Wouwer, head of the sports department of the U23 team, presents the riders.

“Kevin Deltombe is strong in the Flemish and Walloon Ardennes. On top of that he’s also fast. He belonged to the top riders in the junior category. He was sixth at the World Championships in Valkenburg in his last year, in 2012. Last year he won a stage at the Tour de Moselle. This year he claimed the victory on the last stage of the Triptyque Ardennais. He was also second in the prologue of that race. Next week he’ll restart the competition, after he broke his collarbone at the end of June. This traineeship offers him the opportunity to show what he’s already capable of and of course he will learn a lot.

“Michael Goolaerts is a rouleur. That’s the way he won Brussels-Zepperen this season. He arrived at the finish that day together with his teammate Senne Leysen. At the Tour du Loir et Cher Michael won the first stage, being the fastest in the bunch sprint. He crashed on the final stage and incurred an elbow fracture and hand fracture. So also he had his share of bad luck this year. Michael is definitely able to contribute something to the WorldTour team, by riding at the head of the bunch and chasing breakaways. This is his last year as U23 rider, the same goes for Kevin.

“The British rider James Callum Shaw is riding in the U23 category for the second year, he is two years younger than Kevin and Michael. Last year he also rode with our team. He’s maybe still too young to become pro, but it will be a wonderful experience for him. That way we can see how he’s coping in the pro peloton. He has a lot of potential and he has capacities to race on different terrains. James got fifth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège this year and third at the Flèche Ardennaise.

“The fact that all three riders come from our own U23 team shows that we have strong riders in our team. It’s also proof of the cooperation between our team and the WorldTour team. I am really happy for Kevin, Michael and James that they get this chance.”