AG Insurance – Soudal extends with five riders

AG Insurance – Soudal extends with five riders

Tuesday brought more great news for the team and our fans.

It was a big day for our organisation at the AG Campus in Brussels, where we held our annual team presentation. Not only that both title sponsors – AG Insurance and Soudal – confirmed they will continue to support the team through 2030, also a number of riders announced they have signed new contracts, strengthening the core of the squad for the upcoming seasons: Lore De Schepper, Marthe Goossens, Julie Van De Velde, Gladys Verhulst-Wild, and Urska Zigart.

Lore has been a member of our organisation since 2023, rising through the ranks to the point she turned pro with the World Tour team two years ago. Only 20 years of age, the promising Belgian has racked up a series of impressive results during this time, so it was only natural for her to get a new agreement, until the end of 2028.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to extend my contract with the team. This fosters mutual trust and motivation. I feel comfortable within the team and see continuous innovation and progress every year, so committing to a long-term partnership with AG Insurance – Soudal was a logical step.”

Runner-up at the ITT Nationals and third overall at the Belgium Tour last season, Marthe Goossens is another rider who’ll continue sporting our colours through 2028. The Belgian has a lot of room for improvement and she is confident that AG Insurance – Soudal is the perfect place for her to do that.

“Professionalism, ambition, vision, communication, confidence, belief, friendship. This team has everything I need. I’m super excited to stay for two more years and I look forward to making the most of it, while helping AG Insurance – Soudal hit new heights.”

She’s one of the most experienced riders on our roster, having turned pro almost a decade ago, a real road captain always ready to share her experience with the younger riders on the squad and help them learn the trade, which she’ll now continue doing until 2028. For Julie Van De Velde, signing a new deal with the team was the logical thing to do.

“I’m thrilled with my contract extension. I feel a great appreciation for the work I do in the events we race. The trust and respect I receive make me very happy. The team feels like my second home; I love being on the road with them, working hard, pursuing our goals, and having fun together along the way.”

One of the most consistent sprinters in the peloton, Gladys Verhulst-Wild is now in her second season with the squad, one which she got underway by racking three consecutive top ten results at the UAE Tour. The 29-year-old from Le Grand-Quevilly has agreed to add two more seasons to her initial agreement, meaning that she’ll stay with the team until the end of 2028.

“I’m delighted to sign for two more years with the Wolfpack. I feel like I’m part of a second family here. I could see the team’s confidence in me last year and at the start of this season, so agreeing to stay for another two years was a really easy decision.”

In her first season with AG Insurance – Soudal, Urska Zigart delivered strong results at some of the most prestigious races on the calendar, such as runner-up at the Tour de Romandie, fifth at the Tour de Suisse, and ninth in the Giro d’Italia. The multiple Slovenian Champion feels at home here and is motivated to continue showing what she is capable of.

“I love the atmosphere in the team and appreciate the confidence they have in me and the support I get, so that’s why I wanted to continue for one extra year, until 2028. We’ll see what these two seasons will bring and what we can do together on the road. I feel really great here and I had no second thoughts when it came to adding one more year to the deal I already had.”