Intermarché is hoping to turn a profit from departing riders
As
Wielerflits reports, Intermarché-Wanty is trying to get some cash from Visma-Lease a Bike as the latter team works out a deal with Louis Barré in what represents a broader strategy from Intermarché to recover transfer fees from departing riders as a way to drum up funds. Intermarché and Lotto have been planning a merger for months, but that arrangement is in limbo as the teams try to solve the problem of Intermarché's reported €2.5 million debts.
According to UCI regulations, the impending merger has essentially freed Intermarché riders to sign elsewhere, but the team is reportedly pointing to Belgian laws around the transfer of contracts between organizations to make the case that they retain rights to rider contracts. Apparently, Intermarché already tried unsuccesfully to get money from Israel-Premier Tech as that team worked to sign Biniam Girmay, and Intermarché is also hoping to extract a transfer fee from Visma for Barré.
It's just the latest development in what has been anything but a smooth transition for the two teams seeking to become one, and also another example of how the merger plans are making life tough for riders and everyone else.
In a separate story, Intermarché rider Tom Paquot told
La Dernière Heure that he had an agreement to renew with Intermarché that disappeared with the planned merger.
"I haven't spoken to management since," he said. "There was no communication at all."
