10 March, 2025
Lotto and Orbea. The Electricity of the Classics
Like Christmas Eve, like waiting in line for a concert, filled with anticipation, holding our breath. This is how we have felt since that team presentation in early January, our bodies charged with electricity waiting to be released.
There have been other races in these past months, of course, but it is the first of March and we are waking up in Belgium with Lotto to kick off the Classics season.
This marks Orbea’s second year with the oldest structure in competition. We have carried out intense work under the radar, before, during and after the first season. Countless hours in the lab in Mallabia, in the velodrome and on the road, working with and for Lotto, so we couldn’t possibly miss one of the most beautiful moments of the year. We are in Ghent, and the streets are buzzing: it’s Opening Weekend, it’s finally spring, and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is about to begin.
Lotto, the most Belgian of Belgian teams, knows what they are up against. Arnaud De Lie, dressed in the tricolor, was already making his predictions before the start:
"It’s a Flemish race, many factors come into play […]. You feel the tension and nervousness in the peloton, along the roadsides… You never really know in advance how this race will unfold.”
After an endless wait, silence takes over for a moment and… bang! The race begins, and all that energy finally bursts, almost lighting up the gray Belgian sky.
Unfortunately, Arnaud’s fear of the unpredictable comes true, and bad luck forces him to change bikes midway through the race. As he fights to regain his position, a big crash catches him off guard at the foot of the Molenberg, demanding an even greater energy waste.
Meanwhile, at the front of the race, Brent Van Moer showcases the talent in his legs, battling the fierce wind toward the final stretch and sprinting to a very promising fourth place.
However, the most beautiful moment of the day is still to come. A while later, in the women’s race, Mieke Docx joins an exciting breakaway with the eventual race winners.
Though she doesn’t manage to seal the deal, her uncontrollable tears at the finish line speak volumes about her hunger for victory and convince us that this season will be just as great for Lotto’s women’s team.
After a smooth Sunday at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, and before we even recover from the initial explosion, while our feet still remember the feeling of walking on cobblestones, we start to hear the crunch of ‘sterrato’ beneath our soles.
That smell of dust filling our lungs and the dry skin beneath a thick layer of dirt make it clear: we are no longer in Flanders.
Seven days later, Siena becomes the center of the universe. If Flemish territory is ripe with adversity, on the Italian tracks, even the most atheistic among us finds himself praying. The unpredictable Strade Bianche can become frantic. It’s a mad dance planned down to the millimeter: everything is expected to happen while hoping nothing does.
After the 2024 podium, Lotto arrives in Siena full of confidence, our Orca Aero bikes gleaming under the sun of Tuscany. The Aero, the perfect balance of aerodynamics, stiffness, and weight is ideal for each of the different challenges posed by the spring Classics. In Strade Bianche, some riders, like Van Eetvelt, have chosen the Orca to tackle the more than four thousand meters of elevation of the Italian race with ease.
The riders are ready to give it all. The team manages to position Lennert Van Eetvelt, keeping him in the chasing group all day. While the action and drama are unfolding just a minute ahead, Lennert hangs on in his small group—you never know when an opportunity will arise.
He finishes ninth in the Piazza del Campo, and it’s moving to see him collapse as he gets off his bike.
"I am completely empty, absolutely shattered. Everyone was just empty, we were like a group of dying swans. I'm just glad I made it to the finish in one piece."
It has been a good start, Lotto’s legs are ready, and the hunger for victory is there too. Spring will be beautiful, but then again, when isn’t it?
Orca Aero
Three days of Classics, three days of pure power for the Orca Aero. The men and women of Lotto have debuted the new paintwork on their bikes in their second year with Orbea. This marks the team’s 40th anniversary—a year for the history books of professional cycling.
Orbea Orca
Four thousand meters is a long way, and some have chosen the lightness of the Orca to take it on. Its instant acceleration and vibration absorption led Van Eetvelt to choose it to fight for victory in this Strade Bianche.