Wout van Aert forced to change coach as Primož Roglič takes Marc Lamberts to Bora-Hansgrohe

Primož Roglič may not be taking any Jumbo-Visma teammates with him to Bora-Hansgrohe but the four-time Grand Tour winner has nabbed long-term coach Marc Lamberts.

Roglič has yet to announce his confirmed team for 2024 but GCN understands that the Slovenian has now agreed an initial two-year deal with the German team. He will spearhead the squad’s Tour de France ambitions for the next couple of years as he embarks on the mission of completing the full set of Grand Tour titles.

Read more: Primož Roglič on the cusp of signing multi-year contract with Bora-Hansgrohe

It has been reported in various media outlets that Lamberts will lead Bora-Hansgrohe’s performance programme but GCN understands that the Belgian will join as a coach and work primarily with Roglič and a handful of other Bora riders. That will not include Cian Uijtdebroeks, who, at 20, is seen as a future Grand Tour winner.

Lamberts has been with Jumbo-Visma for over a decade and has worked closely with Wout van Aert. On Thursday, the Belgian rider confirmed that Lamberts would be leaving and that their professional relationship had come to an end.

"Marc was my first and only coach, so it will be different in many ways. Personally, I think it's a shame that I have to change," Van Aert told Het Laatste Nieuws.

“But Marc is also in my heart. I want the best for him, and that's why I understand that he wants to take this opportunity to do something new. The news that he is leaving has hit me. We have been through too much together to call this a purely professional relationship. We will definitely keep in touch. I'm closing an era. It was not my request to change – the circumstances forced me – but I have to deal with it positively and believe in a new start.

"I hope and believe that I can still get better. I'm 29, these are probably my best years. I have to keep focusing on all the details and with all the knowledge this team has, hopefully I can take another step. It can be refreshing to step out of my comfort zone for once."

Bora-Hansgrohe have remained silent regarding the imminent arrival of Roglič but it’s expected that an announcement will be made after Il Lombardia at the weekend.

Roglič has only confirmed his departure from Jumbo-Visma, with the Dutch team set to base their squad around Van Aert, Jonas Vingegaard and a raft of young talent.

It’s unclear if Remco Evenepoel will be part of the Jumbo Soudal merger plans, with talks seemingly ongoing as both managements fight against time to meet the UCI’s paperwork deadline of October 15.