Soudal-QuickStep team boss Patrick Lefevere has side-stepped reports that a merger between his team and Jumbo-Visma could be underway, while also refusing to specifically deny an exclusive report from WielerFlits that emerged on Sunday.
The new ‘super team’ could become Visma-Soudal or Soudal-Visma as soon as 2024, though questions remain about exactly which team would take control and which riders would be part of the final 30-rider roster.
Lefevere was questioned by Sporza after attending an Anderlecht football match with Remco Evenepoel and his father Patrick. He refused to give much away to Sporza, claiming not to have his phone with him, missing any chance of his ‘phone exploding’ as the news broke. Strangely Lefevere appeared to have at least one phone in his hand as he tried to avoid Sporza’s questions.
“If you want to follow WielerFlits, do so,” said Lefevere of the merger story, before quickly getting into his car. “Make of it what you want. No comment, sorry.”
The Soudal-QuickStep have refused to react to the report of a merger, telling Cyclingnews they had no comment to make.
The news has reportedly come as a surprise to Remco Evenepoel’s entourage, with his father stating “We are shocked, Remco too,” as he responded to Sporza outside the Anderlecht football stadium.
On Sunday Jumbo-Visma told Cyclingnews: “We never comment on rumours.” Flemish media suggested that the team has several options for the future, including a possible new tile sponsor.
A merger would raise numerous questions, espeicially about team leadership at the Tour de France.
Remco Evenepoel, Primož Roglič, Wout Van Aert and Jonas Vingegaard would all want leading roles, with other riders, including new European champion Christophe Laporte and former world champion Julian Alaphilippe also under contract with the two teams.
Evenepoel would perhaps want to be part of the new ‘mega-team’ to benefit from Jumbo-Visma’s Grand Tour experience. However a merger could mean he and other riders are no longer under contract with Soudal-QuickStep, sparking offers from Ineos Grenadiers and other teams.
The WielerFlits report suggested that a merger of the two teams would see Lefevere would become a member of the new team’s Supervisory Board with Jumbo-Visma’s team manager Richard Plugge becoming the CEO of the new programme.
Quotes have resurfaced from a joint interview by Plugge and Lefevere for De Morgen in 2022 in which the two long-term team bosses discussed…
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