The decision of the Lotto Dstny team not to continue using Ridley bicycles next year indicates a misguided approach to brand management. Ridley’s statement, which mentions terms like “infidelity” and “damage to the image” in a specific response, highlights the company’s concern about these aspects. “Ridley is therefore eager for proposals to repair the damages suffered.”
Next year, the Lotto Dstny team will no longer use Ridley bicycles, as recently confirmed by the team’s management following circulating rumors for some time. According to HLN, the Belgian team has signed a contract with the Basque bicycle company Orbea.
“Our partnership with Ridley will indeed end at the end of this year. We are switching to a new bike brand,” confirms General Manager Stéphane Heulot. “Not so much because we are dissatisfied with the quality of the Ridley bicycle… We chose a different brand because we want to improve financially. This is necessary in order to maintain our current core.”
Official Announcement from Ridley
Ridley has responded and criticized the management of the Lotto Dstny team. In a statement, which can be read on the website of the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, the bicycle brand speaks of a ‘cold shower’ through CEO Jochim Aerts.
“Ridley feels compelled to respond following ongoing leaks to the press from the new management of Lotto Dstny. A current agreement is unilaterally terminated, and twelve years of intense and positive cooperation are thrown away.”
“In 2021, the management at the time asked us to terminate the current agreement, something we, as a company, agreed to in order to please the team and riders. Two years later, when we fully invested in optimizing the equipment for the team, we were taken by surprise.”
“At the end of May, several shots were fired in the press in which the CEO of the team stated that Ridley bikes would not be worthy of the ProTour. There were doubts, mainly about the new time trial bike, the new Dean.”
“It’s remarkable when you see how many races Arnaud De Lie wins on our new ‘Falcn’ and when you read that Alec Segaert stated on September 16, 2022, after signing a professional contract, that the new Ridley time trial bike certainly played a role in his decision!”
The management of Lotto Dstny forgets the investments we made again this year so that the cyclists could compete at the highest level next year with more than competitive equipment! This disloyalty, the damage to reputation, and the lost investments will have to be compensated. It’s regrettable that it also has to come down to the financial aspect, but as I said, the future of our company and its employees is sacred.”
“Ridley, therefore, looks forward to the proposals that the management and/or the Board of Directors of Lotto Dstny will present to repair the damages suffered.”