Jasper Stuyven left Lidl-Trek after 12 years: 'Of course I didn't like hearing that'

Soudal Quick-Step held its media day on Thursday ahead of the 2026 season, and that means the new acquisitions were also presented to stakeholders for the first time. Jasper Stuyven is one of those biggest acquisitions - along with Dylan van Baarle - and he spoke to Sporza about the upcoming season.

Stuyven is racing for the first time for another formation after 12 years of Lidl-Trek - and predecessors. 'It wasn't that I was bored with Lidl-Trek. But when the negotiations with Soudal-Quick Step started, I felt it was time for a new team," said the Belgian, who should ride more in the shadow of Mads Pedersen at the German-American formation.

'Of course I didn't like hearing that. But the team also understood that there were probably many other teams that could still see me in that role of leader,' the man from Leuven knows. 'That made the decision to leave easier anyway, because I think I definitely still have my value in the spring classics.'

At Soudal Quick-Step, Stuyven is seen as an important part of the renewed classic core, along with the likes of Paul Magnier - who extended his contract through 2029 - and Van Baarle. 'That is obviously the idea, but everyone is also realistic enough. Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel are so strong that they quickly force a man-to-man situation.'

'I would love to be able to say I have an answer to that. But I don't,' said the realistic Stuyven. 'But I will still be at the start of a race with the idea that I will try to win that race. You can also get a lot of satisfaction from riding finals and fighting for a win or podium spot in the classics.'

'It does give more confidence and motivation to know that you can go to the classics with a strong team,' the 33-year-old Belgian knows after all those years with the also strong Lidl-Trek. 'That way you don't have to react to everything yourself and you can create a situation where you don't have to ride in a chasing group.'