This year’s cycling transfer market has been defined by a few big storylines, and one of those was Remco Evenepoel’s departure from Soudal-Quickstep to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
Over the summer, and even before then, a lot was made about where Evenepoel might go, what team could best fulfil his needs, and – once the deal was made – if and how Red Bull can help him achieve his ultimate goal of winning the Tour de France.
However, whilst a lot has been said about ‘Project Remco’ at Red Bull and the Belgian’s future, there is another side to this whole saga – the team that Evenepoel leaves behind at Soudal-Quickstep.
Whether that restrategising actually worked to its full extent is a question for another time – the fact that Evenepoel forced his way out early suggests it probably didn’t, in his eyes – but it has left the team in a strange position, a team built around one rider now without that rider.
Rebuilding their Classics core
It’s clear what Soudal-Quickstep’s key strategy this transfer season was: to rebuild and reinforce their Classics core, and move back towards focusing on the races that used to be their foundation. This is a team that used to be utterly dominant in the spring, let’s not forget, and it was only the arrival of Evenepoel that pushed them more towards Grand Tour racing – it’s not what’s always been in their blood.
To this end, they have made some really big-name signings, picking up former Milan-San Remo and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Jasper Stuyven – prying him away from Lidl-Trek after more than a decade – as well as 2022 Paris-Roubaix victor Dylan van Baarle.
These aren’t potential talents or riders knocking on the door of a win; they’re riders who have already won several big Classics, and have maybe slipped into…
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