🎥 Wolfpack on and off the bike: Soudal Quick-Step helps stranded motorist back on the road

A training camp is important in many ways. It marks the start of a new season and offers a chance to take serious steps towards the year ahead. It is also the ideal moment for new riders to get to know their teammates. Team-building therefore comes with the territory – although we doubt Soudal Quick-Step had planned this particular activity.

The Belgian team chose to spend the second week of January in Calpe, one of the most popular winter bases for professional cycling teams thanks to its mild climate and excellent training roads. Present in Spain were several new signings, including Dylan van Baarle and Jasper Stuyven, as well as newly appointed sports directors Niki Terpstra and Sep Vanmarcke.

There will be plenty of training kilometres on the agenda, including on Friday, when the team headed out for what was meant to be a routine ride. That ride, however, turned out to be anything but standard. Along the way, the riders came across a Renault Kangoo that had driven up a small wall and got stuck. The group of cyclists turned around and decided to help. By combining their strength, the riders managed to push the car safely back onto the road.

The impromptu rescue led to cheers and celebrations among the riders. To make the moment even better, TotalEnergies also offered their compliments. The French team are staying on the Costa Blanca as well and happened to be riding past just as the ‘Wolfpack’ had finished helping the stranded vehicle. It was a wonderful scene, and one that underlines the team spirit within Soudal Quick-Step – something the Belgian squad will be keen to take into the new season.

That sense of unity will be particularly important as the team embarks on a new direction following the departure of Remco Evenepoel to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. ‘Back to the roots’ is the message within the team: a renewed focus on the Classics and more freedom for the remaining climbers. With Terpstra now part of the management staff, the hope is to bring some of the old Wolfpack spirit back to life.