Lefevere (“Please don't call me”) and Bakelants react to Evenepoel's transfer: "He's sending a strange signal"

First, the former team boss of Soudal Quick-Step responded briefly to the announcement via X. “Since I stepped down as CEO of Soudal Quick-Step, I’m no longer involved in transfers or any team matters. Agreement-wise, I’m also not allowed to communicate about transfers, not even about Remco. Please don’t call me. This is the only communication I will make,” said Lefevere.

Bakelants, on the other hand, offered a more detailed analysis on HLN. “My first reaction is: I get it, because he will get more support in the big races than with his current team,” the Belgian began. “Still, I don't know if this is the best choice for Evenepoel. The team won the Vuelta last year with Primoz Roglic and in 2022 they won the Giro with Jai Hindley, but does that make Red Bull the specialist for the Grand Tours?”

That's how Bakelants saw the team hesitating in the Tour. “They didn't fully commit to the GC riders, because with Jordi Meeus and Danny van Poppel, they also had a sprinter and a lead-out man. Was this discussed with Evenepoel? I suspect that he will have been promised that he will be able to ride the Tour in 2026 with a full GC team.”

INEOS Grenadiers certainly has the expertise for the Grand Tours. According to Bakelants, that team also wanted to sign Evenepoel. 'With them, you could be sure of the know-how. They won the Tour with Bradley Wiggins, with Chris Froome four times, with Geraint Thomas, and with Egan Bernal. They are the founders of “marginal gains.” With the return of Dave Brailsford, there is also a strong man in charge again. Perhaps Remco had more to gain there. In any case, I think he would have been the only leader there.

"In terms of timing, this is not the best moment for a transfer to Red Bull: the breakthrough of Florian Lipowitz makes everything more complex," Bakelants continues. "Two months ago, you would have thought that Remco would be the absolute leader, but now he will have to fight for his place. He will have to become the leader through his performance. How do you distinguish between the two? I am still convinced that an Evenepoel in top form is a better rider than Lipowitz, but does everyone see it that way?"

“There's also Primoz Roglic,” the Belgian raises the next question mark. “Is there still a role for him? And if so, what? Roglic always does what he wants and hasn't sacrificed much for others in his career.” What else? Lots! ‘There's Giulio Pellizzari. The Italian is only 21, but he finished an impressive sixth in the Giro. You have to give that young man a chance to develop. Sports manager Sven Vanthourenhout will have his work cut out getting everyone on the same page.’

Bakelants concludes that it is a 'complex transfer’. "Evenepoel himself is sending out strange signals. If everything we hear is true, he is bringing the whole team with him: sports director Klaas Lodewyck, teammate Mattia Cattaneo, soigneur David Geeroms, mechanic Dario Kloeck, and even sporting manager Sven Vanthourenhout can be linked to him. So it's difficult to say that Evenepoel is choosing the structure and know-how of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. No, he's bringing his structure and people with him."

"That's not a humble way to join a team, in my opinion," says the Belgian. "It's almost a hostile takeover. The appointment of Vanthourenhout in particular is a frontal attack on those who are already there. At least, that's how it will come across to some people. If you're not careful, the team could split into two camps. So, from a sporting point of view, Evenepoel should get off to a flying start. That's the only way to get the riders who are there committed to the Remco project.“

This is how Bakelants sees Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe ultimately getting its way. “But why does the team want Evenepoel so badly?” the Belgian wonders aloud. “I feel that Evenepoel is a prestige project. They want a big name in cycling that they can market. Such A-list figures are also a lever to attract other sponsors."

“In that sense, Evenepoel's departure is a serious blow for Soudal Quick-Step. His impact really cannot be underestimated,” says Bakelants, who fears that the Belgian team will “take a step back.” “I'm not saying that the team will lose sponsors, but I don't see any new sponsors coming in.”

According to the Belgian, the financial peak has now been reached. “I don't believe that the budget will rise above 30 million euros in the coming years, which is the ambition. In the short term, Soudal Quick-Step will receive the money from the transfer fee for Evenepoel, but those two or three million euros will be quickly spent.”