Just one day after the resignation of the CEO of the Lotto-Soudal team was announced, John Lelangue has been named general manager of the Tour de Pollogne.

Lelangue will work for Lotto Soudal until the end of December, when he is almost certain to be demoted from the World Tour, before heading to his new position at the Tour de Pollogne and its organizer, the Lang Team.

First held in 1928, the Tour de Pollogne is part of the UCI World Tour and is widely regarded as the premier stage race in Eastern Europe.

Lelangue's long and varied career has included serving as deputy tournament director for ASO, the organizer of the Tour de France, leading the operations of the 2016 UCI World Road Championships in Qatar, and overseeing events held in China. He also served as team sport director and manager at Phonak and BMC before moving to Lot Soudal in 2018.

After submitting his resignation to Lot Soudal this summer amid a relegation battle, Lelangue left the Belgian team earlier this week, and news about his new home starting in 2023 was reported almost immediately.

In a Tour de Pollogne press release, Lelangue said that his decision to leave Lotto Soudal "was not an easy one," but that he was "very happy to join the Lang team as general manager."

"I felt it was time to get back to my roots and I needed a new challenge," LeLange said.

Lelangou will take the top job at Pollogne, which is preparing for its 80th edition in 2023. But as general manager, he will also oversee other events run by the Llangu organization, including the Oren Nations Grand Prix and the Tour de Pollogne Junior.

"John has 10 years of experience in organizing the Tour de France and other championship races," said Cheslav Lang, president of the Lang team and race director of the Tour de Pollogne, in the same press release.

"His vast experience, more than 30 years of cycling and watching his father race when he was a professional team manager, show that he belongs in this world. In addition, he is from Belgium, a country where cycling is almost a religion."