The COVID-19 craze may have brought the player transfer market to a near standstill and temporarily ended the path of many aspiring young players, but Florian Vermersch became a professional player on Monday.

The U23 Belgian champion graduated from the Belgian team's U23 squad and joined Lotto Soudal.

Mid-season transfers were always part of the plan and were not toyed with by the racing interruption. Vermeer signed a contract in December and will remain in the U23 category for the first half of the year, joining the World Tour on June 1.

He is not racing in 2020, but he has made the step up to the World Tour level.

"Joining a WorldTour team is perfect," Vermeer said when he signed on.

"I'm confident it will help me grow as a rider. It's always been my dream to be a professional rider, and now my dream has come true."

Vermeersch has a background in cyclocross, but from 2019 he will focus full-time on the road. In August of the same year, he won the Belgian U23 road race solo, and in 2020 he won the Brussels-Zeppelen as early as 2020.

His professional debut, originally scheduled for the Belgian Tour in June, has been postponed, with racing suspended until at least July, but Vermeer is encouraged to develop at his own pace.

He is being touted as a promising Classics prospect with a penchant for sprint finishes.

"Florian is strong--a talent with great potential, and the 2019 season is only his first year as a serious road cyclist," said John Lelangue, manager of Lotto Soudal.

"Florian has convinced us not only with his (U23) national road title, but also with his many races, including the Tour de Moselle, where he won three out of four stages and the GC. He can start slow and smooth with us. After that, he can do other smaller stage races."