Soudal Quick-Step under review: in the footsteps of magnificent Evenepoel and Merlier, Lefevere prepares new generation of wolves

As previously mentioned, there was no investment in the classics core. There was perhaps hope for a resurrection of Gianni Moscon. However, that scenario turned out to be unrealistic. So, the classic campaign had to be led by the established names Julian Alaphilippe, Kasper Asgreen, Yves Lampaert, and Merlier. Of this foursome, only Merlier managed to live up to expectations. He won Nokere Koerse, the Scheldeprijs, and the Flanders Championship. He also sprinted to a nice runner-up spot in Classic Brugge-De Panne and finished eighth in Gent-Wevelgem.

This made Merlier the positive exception in an otherwise disappointing spring. The other major cobbled classics brought little success. Luke Lamperti's only noteworthy result was seventh place in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, a poor result for a team with such a rich, cobbled classic history.

The other one-day races were a lot better. Mauri Vansevenant finished nicely fourth in the Amstel Gold Race and sixth in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Alahilippe showed his skills with a second place in Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa and Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, Paul Magnier won the peloton sprint behind Marc Hirschi in the Bretagne Classic, and Evenepoel finished second in Il Lombardia. In addition, although not for his team, the Belgian dominated at the Olympics and the World Time Trial Championships. Merlier became the European champion.

Soudal-Quick Step put all eyes on Evenepoel, which paid off in the (grand) tours. The star rider opened the season with a convincing victory in the Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta, finished second in Paris-Nice, and seemed well on his way in the Basque Country until a bad crash forced him to abandon. However, he made a strong comeback with a seventh place in the Critérium du Dauphiné and then excelled in the Tour de France, where he took third place on the podium. The Tour became his final round of the year, fully living up to his status as a leader.

Landa's arrival proved to be a hit. The Spaniard acted as a valuable super domestique for Evenepoel and excelled in his own role. He took second place in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and eighth place in the Vuelta a España, and, as a domestique, still achieved top ten finishes: tenth in the Dauphiné and fifth (!) in the Tour.

Ilan Van Wilder also showed his versatility by partly being a domestique and partly going for his own glory. He finished fourth in the UAE Tour and the Tour de Romandie and 11th in the Renewi Tour. In addition to these performances, he recorded several places of honor in smaller stage races.

In other races, they could also celebrate. Magnier dominated the Tour of Britain until a crash ruined his chances. Warre Vangheluwe won two stages, Merlier sprinted 11 times to victory, and Evenepoel added some impressive stage wins to his record. Not to mention stage wins like Lampaert in the Tour of Switzerland or Vansevenant in the Tour of Luxembourg. Overall, 2024 was an excellent year for Soudal-Quick Step in the (grand) tours.

The Wolfpack howled again, which is an asset to cycling. Actually, the only thing missing was a good performance on the Flemish cobblestones; otherwise, they would have scored well above 9. Our editors swapped the 6.8 from 2023 for a solid 8.7. There is room for improvement, but the blush is back on the cheeks!

Patrick Lefevere had a good transfer period; several familiar names and talented rookies were recruited as domestiques. With Valentin Paret-Peintre, for example, another climber was brought in for Evenepoel. Maximilian Schachmann returned after six years, and Ethan Hayter found the exit from the dead-end road at INEOS Grenadiers. Dries Van Gestel and Pascal Eenkhoorn can do their thing in the spring races. And finally, two young Italians were recruited: Gianmarco Garofoli and Andrea Raccagni Noviero.

However, this is counterbalanced by Julian Alaphilippe's departure. For years, he was a steady and important leader of the team. Another leader is also leaving: Kapser Asgreen. The Dane has not been himself for several years, but he did provide the team with a last great performance in the cobbled races. Finally, Moscon, who was offered a very last chance this year, Fausto Masnada, and Jan Hirt are also leaving.

Incoming: Maximilian Schachmann (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers), Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dtsny), Valentin Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), Gianmarco Garofoli (Astana Qazaqstan Team) and Andrea Raccagni Noviero (Soudal-Quick-Step Devo Team)

Outgoing: Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost), Gianni Moscon (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Fausto Masnada (Astana Qazaqstan Team) and Jan Hirt (Israel-Premier Tech)

In 2025, once again, much will depend on the performance of leaders Evenepoel and Merlier. The team remains heavily built around these two. Yet Soudal-Quick Step also proved in 2024 that it has a diverse selection in which nobody has to stay in the shadows. Although Evenepoel and Merlier are the biggest eye-catchers, there is also room for others to take their chances. Landa, Van Wilder, and Vansevenant will compete again for personal success in 2025. Vansevenant, in particular, showed a new step last year, and it will be interesting to see if he can continue that line.

There is also a promising group of young talents showing themselves more and more. Magnier's first season was impressive, and Lamperti's was hopeful. The Frenchman and American both have speedy legs but are capable of more than that. Round-talent William Junior Lecerf occasionally impressed on the uphill slopes. With these young riders, all in their early twenties, the future of the Belgian formation seems assured, provided they continue their development.

There is also plenty to dream about among the newcomers. For example, Paret-Peintre showed what he has to offer by winning a Giro stage this year. The climber will be an essential mountain domestique for Evenepoel, but he will undoubtedly be allowed to take his chance. And then there is Hayter. The 26-year-old Briton was a rider who excelled in 2021 and 2022, but 2024 was difficult for him. Sprinters - although Hayter is more than that - tend to find it challenging to thrive at INEOS. It is all the more interesting to see what an apparent sprinters' team like Soudal-Quick Step can do for Hayter. Will the team be able to get the Brit back on track? If so, that could be one of the most valuable moves of his career.