Van Gils gets his long-awaited transfer, but it cost him his reputation: "They were surprised that I’m a nice guy"

Transfer of the year? Without a doubt, Maxim Van Gils. The 25-year-old Belgian recently traded in Lotto Dstny for the incredibly ambitious Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. The move drew criticism both online and offline, as Van Gils hadn’t taken the time to explain why he abruptly left the team he’d been with since his youth. However, during a media session in Spain, he opened up about his decision, his prime racing years, and his struggle to shake off his 'bad guy' label.

Van Gils and his agent, Alex Carera, announced Maxim's desire to leave Lotto Dstny after the season — a move that shocked many, especially since he had extended his contract with the team through 2026 earlier in the year. The extension made sense given his results of this season: wins in Eschborn-Frankfurt and the GP Kanton Aargau, but above all, top-five finishes in the Faun Drôme Classic, Strade Bianche, Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

But according to Van Gils, his departure wasn’t about his performance. It was about the team dynamics, and decisions made by his confidants. “When I renewed my contract with Lotto Dstny, the team felt like family. But then guys like Florian Vermeersch, Victor Campenaerts, and Andreas Kron left, and that got me thinking about my own future,” he explained. “I stayed in touch with Victor a lot and personally called all my teammates to explain my decision. Arnaud (De Lie, ed.) wasn’t happy about it, but he wished me luck. We’re still friends.”

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Maxim Van Gils

Van Gils wanted to catch the Red Bull train now

Once Van Gils’ agent began testing the waters, interested reactions started rolling in. When Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe reached out regarding a transfer, things moved quickly. “This team is growing, and there is a lot going on right now. I wanted to catch that train now, not wait until it’s already massive and miss the opportunity. It’s nice to be part of something that’s still on the rise, so I wanted in. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe has big, ambitious plans, and while I’m still young, I also have ambitions, on a personal level and with the team. My best years are ahead of me, and once you’re 30, you’re already considered old. I want to spend those best years in the best environment.”

For example, Van Gils dreams of contributing to a grand tour win for his new team. “I know I can’t win one myself, and I wouldn’t have had the chance to do that at Lotto Dstny either. It’s still a tough goal here, but at least we can dream. At Lotto, we had good riders, but the team was very young. As a team leader, I want to focus on performing, not telling everyone else what to do. Things are easier here, although I was surprised what we achieved at Lotto Dstny, with a budget like that. Here, there are so many more people running around, you have ten people for a job, which at Lotto was done by one. We have to respect that in this new cycling world. But at Lotto you sometimes had to wait a few days for a physio treatment, here one is sitting on the bench waiting for you."

Ralph Denk, CEO of the German multimillion-dollar team, emphasized when asked that it was Van Gils’ side who initiated contact. He underlined that Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe does not actively seek to poach riders from other teams. "We heard in the fall that Maxim had the desire to change teams. But to make that happen, you need to reach an agreement between both teams and the rider. We found a good agreement with Lotto Dstny, but I want to stress that the starting point for everything was Maxim’s wish to switch teams. We never actively approached him."

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Van Gils wants to spend his "best years' at the highest level

Denk is, of course, thrilled with Van Gils joining him the team, calling him a direct boost to the team’s classics squad. “Maxim has already achieved impressive results in major one-day races, and hopefully, he can take the next step with us. Maxim is still young and has access here to a high-performance environment to develop his talent in the best possible way. The focus will be on the classics early in the year. Whether he will race a grand tour? We will wait and see,” said Denk.

Van Gils agrees, saying he appreciates the time afforded by his three-year contract. “A two-year contract is short because in your first season, you never know how things will go. New bike, new coach — everything is new. You don’t know how the races will unfold with your new teammates. Then you only have one year left to show what you can do. With a three-year contract, you have two more seasons to build on your opening year. Especially now, with the ambitious plans that Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe has, we don’t know for sure if everything will fall into place right away.”

He’s optimistic, though, especially after a breakthrough 2024. “In 2023, I wasn’t far from my 2024 level, but I didn’t always race well. My positioning wasn’t great at key moments, and that’s so important in the classics. In 2024, I improved that, and now I trust myself more. That’s been the big difference, so now I dream of winning races. It would be incredible if that happens as early as 2025 — there’s nothing better than raising your arms at the finish line.”

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"Bad guy" Van Gils wants to clean up his reputation

Listening to Van Gils, you get the sense of someone still caught in a balancing act. On one hand, there’s his respect for Lotto Dstny: “You don’t make a decision like this in a single moment or day because Lotto is very special to me. Maybe I’ll return there one day, so I had to think carefully about it.” On the other hand, there’s his newfound affection for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe: “When you see them ride, you can tell this team is special. Great kit, great sponsors... I’ve met the people behind BORA and hansgrohe, who are also friends of CEO Denk. It’s not just business here — they’ve worked together for a long time.”

The blond climber says he didn’t feel overwhelming stress during the transfer process. “It was more stressful than other winters, but I think we handled it well. At first, I didn’t even know I wanted to leave, but once that became clear, I trusted that it would work out.” The response, particularly online, was harder to deal with. “Everyone tells you not to read the comments or social media, but you do it anyway. It’s not always nice to see what’s written, although there were some positive reactions too. I see articles about myself almost every day. That’s just how this world works.”

After several incidents in his career — like his suspension following an altercation in Japan and his actions toward Amaury Capiot in the Tour de France — Van Gils understands that his reputation has taken a hit, especially after this transfer. “I didn’t create the ‘bad guy’ label. I think I’m a nice guy. A lot of people I’ve met this winter only knew me through social media and articles online. They were a bit surprised to see that I’m actually a friendly guy. But things have happened that shaped this perception, and it’s up to me to change that.”

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