Intermarché-Wanty reinforces its climbing core with Belgian Kamiel Bonneu, recent winner of the queen stage of the Arctic Race of Norway. He signed with Jean-François Bourlart’s WorldTeam for the next two seasons.
This Tuesday in Norway, the 25-year-old from Limburg showcased his talent, winning solo thanks to an attack in the final ascent of Jakobsbakken, before finishing sixth overall. This success is the third for Kamiel Bonneu as a pro, having previously won stages at the Sazka Tour and the Tour of Britain in 2022, as a neo-pro.
Since then, Bonneu has distinguished himself as a regular contender for the general classification, with top 10 finishes in races against WorldTour teams, such as the Sazka Tour (4th in 2023), Arctic Race of Norway (9th in 2023, 6th in 2024), the Tour of Hungary (10th in 2022), the Tour of Britain (9th in 2023) and the Tour de Norvège (9th in 2024).
After three seasons at Flanders-Baloise, Kamiel Bonneu follows in the footsteps of his compatriots Aimé De Gendt, Pieter Vanspeybrouck, and more recently Rune Herregodts, Arne Marit, and Vito Braet, who joined the WorldTour with the Walloon structure from the Flemish ProTeam.
Kamiel Bonneu:
“From my first contacts with Intermarché-Wanty and Aike Visbeek, I felt that we shared the same vision and were on the same wavelength. It was time for me to take the step up to the WorldTour, after three years with Team Flanders-Baloise where I was able to make a name for myself as a pro with confidence. Now, I want to participate in my first Grand Tour with Intermarché-Wanty and demonstrate what I am capable of at the highest level. I’m joining a team that has a reputation for developing its riders, as I’ve seen with my former teammates Rune Herregodts, Arne Marit, and Vito Braet since they joined Intermarché-Wanty. I’m convinced that I can improve myself too, especially in the high mountains, and this is the best environment to continue my career. My idol is Alejandro Valverde, I had the chance to race with him in 2022, he is a legend with an incredible record. Like him, all things considered, I love races with a difficult finish, I have a climber-puncher profile. I can’t wait to join Intermarché-Wanty to experience great moments together.”
Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager):
“Kamiel Bonneu is a tough rider, capable of handling difficult courses. His climber-puncher profile is similar to other riders we have developed at the highest level, like Lorenzo Rota and Georg Zimmermann, which could allow him to shine in one-day races like the Ardennes Classics. We will assess his ability to keep up the pace in the high mountains, we know he is ready to take a step up in the WorldTour peloton. With Intermarché-Wanty, he will not only have the opportunity to shine in the Ardennes Classics and WorldTour stage races, but our plan is also to allow him to realize one of his dreams, namely to compete in his first Grand Tour.”
