Lotto Soudal, who will be fighting for UCI points and WorldTour status at the end of this season, has strengthened his team with the addition of former Qhubeka Asos riders Reinard Janse van Rensburg and Carlos Barbero.

The two, who had not ridden since Qhubeka disbanded after the 2021 season, signed with the Belgian team from May 1 until the end of the year, bringing the team's total to 29 riders.

"I am very happy with this opportunity," said Janse van Rensburg.

"After last season, even if I didn't have a team I would have prepared myself as I always have. Of course, it was sometimes difficult to keep making all the sacrifices without knowing if I would be able to race at the highest level.

"But fortunately, now all those sacrifices are paying off. But fortunately, now all those sacrifices are paying off. When you go through a period like now, it makes you value the life of a professional cyclist even more."

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"You have to keep believing," Barbero explained.

"And I always have, even though there have been difficult times. I am ready to prove right away that I deserve this opportunity. Whether it's sharing my experience or getting results."

The pair finished last season with 231 UCI points, but the points they earned while with Qhubeka do not carry over to Lotto Soudal due to UCI rider transfer rules. However, he will help strengthen the Belgian team's ranks after a string of illnesses and injuries.

The team currently sits at the bottom of the UCI team standings with combined points for the 2020-22 season. They, along with Cofidis, Israel Premier Tec, Bike Exchange Jayco, and Movistar, are on either side of the "relegation line" behind the top 18 teams; only the top 18 teams can secure WorldTour status for 2023-2025. Teams below the relegation line will compete with other professional teams for major World Tour races.

Team CEO John Lelangue explained that the two new additions will help Lot Soudal cover the upcoming busy race calendar.

"Like every team this year, we've had a lot of illnesses," he said.

"Because of this, we were not able to have a full team at the start of every race. In addition, Kamil Malecki and Jarrad Drizners both had to leave the race for an extended period of time due to injury. We needed to reinforce the team in order to be able to do our planned race program."

"They are experienced, race ready and highly motivated. We gave them a chance until the end of the season and we believe they will fit in well with this team. They are grateful for the opportunity they have been given and I am confident that they will prove their worth to the young team."

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