What do WorldTour riders do when they are cut from their team and cannot find a new one… pivot to gravel racing.

The latest out of work pro to make the switch is Lawrence Naesen of Belgium who did not receive a new contract from his Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team for 2024. Rather than wait around hoping to land a new WorldTour contract, like Nairo Quintana, the 31 year-old opted to switch to gravel racing full-time.

Naesen, the younger brother of spring classics specialist Oliver Naesen, has been a professional on the road for six years, but his best results have been on gravel. He finished 16th at the 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships and 13th in 2022.

Naesen is not the first WorldTour pro to pivot to gravel racing as a solo privateer, others include Peter Stetina, Nathan Haas, Ian Boswell and Laurens ten Dam.

Photo Credit: Ag2r Citroen

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