This summer's biggest transfer is undoubtedly the move of Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel from Soudal-QuickStep to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. Patrick Lefevere, the former head of Soudal-QuickStep who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke, and he did so with his characteristic flair.
Lefevere no longer manages Soudal but is bound by a confidentiality agreement and is not permitted to disclose details about the transfers. However, he shared his personal thoughts with the Flemish newspaper Nieuwsblad.
"I can't pretend that nothing happened with Remco this week; of course, something did, but I repeat: contractually, I can't say much about it," Lefevere noted. "When I sold my stake in the team, I also signed a confidentiality agreement, which means I am not allowed to work for another team for a certain period, but also that what happens within the team must remain confidential. However, this doesn't mean I can't express my opinion about Remco's departure. In short: no hard feelings. That's life. The man is 25 years old, and if he can earn a couple of million more somewhere, he should do it. In terms of budget, Soudal-QuickStep can no longer compete with teams like UAE or Red Bull."
Lefevere's tenure as Soudal team manager ended in December 2024, but wealthier competitors were already interested in signing Evenepoel earlier. "There was always interest in Remco, but we always reached an agreement. Only after he won the Vuelta and became world champion in Wollongong did they start seriously pursuing him. Remco said many times that he would never leave us. People remember that, but I forgive him – such things are said in an emotional moment. Should we conclude that we have become a mid-level team? Budget-wise, we were never really at the top. Through hard work, we performed miracles for years with the budget we had," Lefevere recalled.
Lefevere admitted that financially it is more sensible to develop riders through their own development team, but noted that they no longer have the biggest and best classics riders and may never be as competitive in Grand Tours as they were with Evenepoel.
"A long list of riders has come from our Klein Constantia development team: Julian Alaphilippe, Enric Mas, Max Schachmann… We are quite proud of that. And it costs less than hiring a rider. But I am also a realist: we will probably not develop anyone who can reach the podium in the Tour de France. I want to believe I'm wrong, but I fear not," Lefevere mused.
