Julie Van De Velde and Lore De Schepper extend their contract with AG Insurance - Soudal until 2027

AG Insurance - Soudal has extended the contracts of Belgian riders Julie Van De Velde and Lore De Schepper until 2027. Both riders feel completely at home in the team and look forward to their future with the squad.

Julie Van De Velde

Julie Van De Velde, 31 years old and from Bruges, has been part of AG Insurance - Soudal since 2024. The Belgian rider has decided to extend her stay with the team and will remain with us until at least 2027.

“When I received the message from Jurgen and Jolien to discuss the future, I felt especially grateful. It means a lot to me that the team believes in me and values my work. Here, I can be 100 percent myself, and this contract extension gives me a tremendous boost in confidence and motivation to keep working hard.

What makes this team so special is the dedication and enthusiasm of everyone, both the riders and the staff. There is a fantastic team dynamic where we support each other and are willing to go the extra mile for one another. We are growing stronger as a team, becoming more professional, while still maintaining the warm family atmosphere. That is incredibly important to me.

The respect everyone has for each other and the way we inspire each other to bring out the best in ourselves is something I deeply appreciate. The gratitude we share makes it truly unique.

One of my fondest memories is undoubtedly Justine’s stage win in the Tour de France Femmes. It’s a day I will never forget and still gives me goosebumps when I think about it. My first race with the team, the Tour Down Under, was also a dream start with stage wins by Ally and Sarah and Sarah’s overall victory. We immediately clicked as a team, and it was the best start I could have imagined.

I look forward to many more moments like these in the coming years. With such a talented group and the fantastic support from our staff, I have full confidence that we will achieve great things together!”

 

Lore De Schepper

Lore De Schepper, who has been part of the team since 2023, has also extended her contract until 2027.

“I'm really happy that I can extend my contract. I feel completely at home with the team and have a lot of trust in them. The fact that my contract has been extended for such a long period makes me feel that the team also has a lot of confidence in me and is giving me the chance to grow at my own pace. That’s a great confirmation for me!

In the upcoming seasons, I mainly want to gain a lot of experience and become stronger both mentally and physically. I can still become more professional when it comes to training and camps, and I'm convinced that this will go really well within the team.

As for my role in the team, I like that there are other riders who are currently in the spotlight. This allows me to grow quietly in the background at my own pace. Over the next few years, I see myself working in support of the team, with the occasional opportunity to go for my own success.”