Behind the Scenes with Lotto-Dstny: the secret sauce of team dynamics and high morale despite setbacks!

Lotto-Dstny's spring has had its ups and downs, facing challenges with key riders like Arnaud De Lie, Florian Vermeersch, and Lennert Van Eetvelt dealing with (long-term) setbacks. Despite this, the team spirit is palpable among the Belgian squad, committed to bringing their best with a youthful lineup of cyclists. IDLProCycling.com caught up with one of the team's pillars, Cedric Beullens, to chat about it.

Beullens (27) is in his third year at Lotto-Dstny and is already making significant strides. He feels at home with the team. "It's really a great group. I really enjoy racing with the guys. Even on a bad day, we forget about it because we're just out with some cool dudes. That way, you can even enjoy the less good moments. That’s how you find enjoyment even when times are tough. There are a few natural leaders among us, like Victor Campenaerts, who brings his unique outlook and interpretation to the table. I greatly value that," he shared.

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There have also been some tough moments, indeed. Beullens experienced part of the spring season with De Lie, the lead rider who has recently had to put and end to his classics season. It's in these times the team's true colors show. "It's crucial. When things aren’t going as planned in a race, it helps to be able to shift our focus. It was unfortunate that Arnaud was struggling, but having such a strong team means we can discuss these things openly. We prefer not to air our issues through the media because what’s reported doesn’t always align with the truth. We communicate openly within the group, and that makes things much smoother."

Beullens himself also had his share of misfortune. For instance, he fell at a critical point in Milan-San Remo. "I had gotten through Paris-Nice really well, and it was my first San Remo, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But I had confidence, and with that belief, I might have made it quite far, but it'll have to wait until next year. It was unfortunate, but thankfully, it wasn't serious. Two guys ahead of me got tangled up, and I thought I could just get through, but it didn't work out. I ended up going down with them. At the moment, I was disappointed, but looking back, you have to put it into perspective. It's just part of racing, and these things happen," reflected the Belgian, who also knocked his knee before Gent-Wevelgem but is pushing on with his spring campaign.

Dutch vibes in the Lotto-Dstny brotherhood

There are also some Dutch influences in the team culture at Lotto-Dstny. For example, Pascal Eenkhoorn, who rides for the team, is jokingly known as the "bokkenlul" (the goat's dick, ed.) among the team members. Beullens, with a laugh: "I think Jasper De Buyst started that name. If you're someone who talks big, you can expect a response. As riders, we can be quite competitive with each other, so that nickname just came about and stuck. I think it's a good one," grins the teammate.

Some of the Lotto-Dstny riders also keep in touch with former cyclist Laurens ten Dam, occasionally featuring in his podcast. Beullens explains how this came to be. "We're a group of a few riders – from our team, Brent Van Moer, Florian Vermeersch, and I – and that's how we first got in touch with Laurens. Initially, it was mostly through Florian, but then we also joined in on the NH100 (a training ride by Ten Dam, ed.) and slept in a camper on Ten Dam's driveway."

"We've kept in touch since then, and Laurens gets some inside info from the peloton for his podcast. (laughs) They're great guys, and we have a WhatsApp group where we occasionally send messages," Beullens says. "It's fun because those guys also understand racing, so you can talk about it with them. But we don't let Laurens drive us crazy," smiles the Belgian.