Lars Boom is leaving his role as sports director at SD Worx-Protime to join FDJ-Suez, as announced by the team on Tuesday. The transition takes effect immediately.
The move has re-sparked speculation about whether Demi Vollering will follow her former sports director to the French team. Rumours have connected the Dutch star to FDJ-Suez for months, though no official statement has been made to confirm the move.
Boom, the 2008 cyclocross world champion and a stage winner in both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, moved into a sports director role after retiring in 2019, starting at Liv Racing in 2021. The following year, he moved to SD Worx-Protime, accompanying Lotte Kopecky in making the move.
"I am very pleased to join FDJ-Suez, a team [which] has got a bright future ahead. Stephen Delcourt's vision for his team is fascinating and I really wanted to play a part in this. What's coming is very exciting and I look forward to getting the [best] of the team," Boom said.
Boom will strengthen the team’s spring classics squad, and will work closely with current DS, Nicolas Maire, and directors of performance, Lieselot Decroix and Flavien Soenen.
"Lars Boom is an off-the-bike recruit we have been waiting for," FDJ-Suez general manager Stephen Delcourt said. "His flair and sharp tactical thinking, combined with his experience in race direction, will allow both athletes and staff from FDJ-Suez to keep improving."
The Vollering transfer saga started in March when she was surprised by a statement made by SD Worx-Protime that she was leaving the team. The statement said that Vollering and her management had been presented with a "generous offer", which wasn’t responded to before a deadline, leading the team to assume she was leaving.
A month later, it was reported that Vollering was in negotiations with FDJ-Suez on a multi-year contract beginning in 2025. While Delcourt told Cyclingnews that the team would comment on such negotiations, he also did not deny the reports.
In 2024, the 27-year-old Dutch rider claimed the overall victory at Vuelta España Femenina, Itzulia, Vuelta a Burgos, and Tour de Suisse and took two stage wins at the Tour de France Femmes en route to second overall.
But the team tactics at the Tour de France Femmes raised eyebrows and reignited transfer rumours when Vollering – then the race leader – was left isolated after a crash with 6km to go on stage 5, ultimately costing the team the yellow jersey.
