Monfort joins Lotto Belisol from RadioShack

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Maxime Monfort has signed a two-year contract with Belgian team Lotto Belisol. The move sees him leave RadioShack-Leopard after two seasons with the squad.

Monfort, 30, is a time trial and GC rider. He has won the overall title in both the Tour of Luxembourg (2004) and the Bayern Rundfahrt (2010).  This year he was fourth overall in the  Tour Méditerranéen and 14th in the Tour de France.

He turned pro in 2004 with Landbouwkrediet-Colnago and has since ridden with Cofidis, Columbia-High Road, and Leopard/RadioShack.

“With some riders, like André Greipel, Adam Hansen and Marcel Sieberg, I rode together at HTC and Columbia. The list is long,” he said on the Lotto website. “Of course I also know Tony Gallopin very well, with whom I'm riding in the same team now, and who'll also make the move.”

Monfort was happy to be returning to a Belgian team. “It's special for me after I have been riding in foreign teams for several years. On the sportive level I get great opportunities here. The complete programme has yet to be discussed, but I'll be a protected rider in short stage races and Grand Tours like Giro or Vuelta. In the Tour I'm prepared to work for Jurgen Van den Broeck who has already proven to have chances for a podium place.

“Apart from that I also want to pass my experience, acquired by being a pro for ten years now, to the young riders in the team."

Lotto Belisol manger Marc Sergeant said that Monfort  “perfectly fits in the team. He's a Belgian with a lot of experience, gained in different foreign teams and he's keen on riding again for a Belgian squad. He's a rider for stage races who can render us a service with his climbing capacities and good time trial in both big and small stage races.”

Monfort is the sixth signing for the team, along with Sander Armee, Kris Boeckmans, Vegard Breen, Sean De Bie, and Tony Gallopin.