Remco Evenepoel has described reports that he may try to leave Soudal-QuickStep and move to Ineos Grenadiers or another rival teams as “small bullshit that is going around”, insisting that he has the mental strength to focus on his packed summer of racing that starts with the Clasica San Sebastian on Saturday and includes the UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow and then the Vuelta a España later in August.
During the Tour de France, numerous reports suggested that Israel-Premier Tech and other teams had joined Ineos Grenadiers in trying to convince Evenepoel and his entourage to break his contract with Soudal-QuickStep, with money seemingly available to cover any contract buyout and a new salary close to €6 million per season and a far stronger team to back his Tour de France ambitions.
It also emerged that a US investor, thought to be someone connected to the Wasserman Sports management agency, had enquired about buying Soudal-QuickStep but then opted against the idea due to a lack of the team’s possible profitability.
Team manager Patrick Lefevere played down reports he could lose Evenepoel and that he would sell his 20% share in the team. He told his riders and staff at the Tour de France that he has promised the team’s major sponsors to stay as CEO until 2027, with Mikel Landa on possible target to strengthen the team for 2024.
Evenepoel has so far said little about the reports that he is unhappy about his current contract at Soudal-QuickStep and the strength of the team as he attempts to take on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar at the 2024 Tour de France. Speaking to a select group of media, including Cyclingnews, on the eve of the Clasica San Sebastian, he claimed he had little real information and insisted he was happy at the Belgian team.
“It’s actually funny because, from the outside, you guys know more than I do myself,” Evenepoel said.
“So it’s some things that are going around that I’m not even aware of myself and also within my entourage, and my family doesn’t even know about all those things. So it’s things going around that I don’t even know about, which is pretty special.
“I think mentally I’m strong enough to focus on what I have to do in the summer is coming. I mean, there’s no reason to be unhappy here. It’s all a bit of, let’s say, small bullshit that is going around. Sorry for the word I didn’t know a better word to say.”
Evenepoel watched the 2023 Tour de France on television while at an altitude training camp in Italy to…
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