New Zealander Logan Currie has signed a one-year contract at Lotto Dstny, discovering a continued pathway within the ProTeam ranks regardless of the announcement by house crew Bolton Equities Black Spoke that it could wind down on the finish of 2023.
Currie made the transfer as much as ProTeam stage in the beginning of this season, in keeping with the New Zealand squad which he had raced with since 2021. Nevertheless, the crew final week introduced that it could not solely be unable to proceed on the ProTeam stage past its preliminary yr within the class, however could not go on as a Continental crew both resulting from an absence of sponsors.
That has left quite a few the 22-year-old’s teammates with out contracts for 2024, however Currie is now among the many handful which have confirmed they’ve discovered a brand new house. The Belgian squad is searching for the rider from New Zealand to assist strengthen the crew throughout hilly terrain and in smaller stage races.
“I’m nonetheless very younger, however I think about myself as a GC rider and time trial specialist. I’m not a cobble or traditional specialist,” mentioned Logan, who lived in Belgium the previous three years.
“I really like racing right here [Belgium], however I’m extra a rider for the GC and a time trial specialist. I need to assist the crew in arduous climbing races or chase the escapees in flat levels for our sprinters. I need to help the crew as a lot as doable and once I get the prospect to go for [my] personal consequence, I’ll seize this chance with each fingers.”
Currie has confirmed expertise within the race towards the clock, having received a junior nationwide title in 2019 after which taking back-to-back U23 time trial gold medals at New Zealand nationals in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, he earned the Oceania Continental Championships U23 time trial gold medal and was fourth at Worlds.
Not solely does Currie have GC ambitions, however the crew sees him as a promising rider to arrange sprinters like Arnaud De Lie in one-day races and search alternatives throughout one-week occasions. Final season he received one of the best younger rider classification at Worldwide Tour of Hellas and rolled sturdy into the second half of the yr with high 15 total at 2.Professional Tour of Denmark, taking one of the best younger rider title there as properly.
“Logan remains to be a really younger, however a promising rider. We don’t have a whole lot of riders along with his profile and he’ll strengthen our crew within the smaller stage races and in races with a hilly parcours,” mentioned Sports activities Supervisor Kurt Van de Wouwer.
With the signing of Currie, the Lotto Dstny squad introduced its roster to 29 riders.