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QuickStep-AlphaVinyl team manager Patrick Lefevere has told Cyclingnews he believes he has an excellent relationship and a watertight long-term contract with Remco Evenepoel and so is not concerned about Ineos Grenadiers’ attempts to try to entice the new world champion to switch teams.
Cyclingnews understands that Ineos Grenadiers have formulated an offer to Evenepoel and his father, who acts as his agent, after it emerged that the British team was interested in signing the new World Champion as a Grand Tour team leader.
Lefevere revealed to Velonews that Ineos Grenadiers team principal Dave Brailsford sent a message saying: ” if one day you want to sell him, give me a call.”
Velonews also quoted a source saying that billionaire Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe is desperate to win the Tour de France but the British team lacks a Tour contender after Egan Bernal’s training accident.
Last week La Gazzetta dello Sport suggested that Ineos Grenadiers could offer Evenepoel €15-20 million so he can pay his way out of his contract with QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, plus €40-50 million for a multi-year contract.
Lefevere has dismissed any talk of a transfer, insisting it would cost Ineos Grenadiers at least €100 million and spark a legal battle.
Evenepoel also played down reports of a football-style transfer to Ineos Grenadiers during a dinner with Lefevere when he returned home from the World Championships and reportedly confirmed his loyalty to the team and his teammates at a recent QuickStep-AlphaVinyl get-together.
However, Evenepoel’s success at the Vuelta a España and the World Championships has changed everything, making him one of the biggest stars of the sport. One leading rider agent suggested to Cyclingnews that if Evenepoel was earning around €2.5 million per season as part of a contract agreed to in the spring of 2021, he is now worth at least twice that amount.
Lefevere is known for his shrewd money management and ability to sign talented riders. He shrugged off the idea that Evenepoel could be tempted to jump ship to Ineos Grenadiers, confident in the contract that ties the Belgian to his team.
“Do I look stupid? People sometimes think I’m stupid but if I do a five-year contract, everything is in there, for every scenario,” he told Cyclingnews.
“I signed Remco in February 2021 until 2026 and everything that has to be in the contract is in there. The only thing I have to do is pay it.
“I’m not like some of my colleagues, first they sign riders and then they go…
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