Father doesn't rule out Remco Evenepoel leaving leaving team

The father of Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepeol is not sure his son will continue to ride for Soudal-Quick Step next season, Sporza and La Dernière Heure report on Saturday. According to Patrick Evenepoel, the team must act to help his son in his hunt for victory in the Tour de France.

"Remco dreams of winning the Tour," he told La Dernière Heure on Saturday. "And we, those close to him, will do everything in our power to make sure he achieves it. But to compete with Vingegaard or Pogacar and then effectively win the Tour, everything has to fall perfectly into place. And I'm not just talking about his teammates, but also the material, the preparation stages, the entourage, etc."

"I can't ensure that he will stay"

He indicated that his son would like to stay with the team but that there are other options. For example, he has been courted by Ineos Grenadiers for a while. "There is not only interest from Ineos," he said. "I've been in contact with five big names, three of which showed very concrete interest."

According to Het Laatste Nieuws, these teams are Lidl-Trek, BORA-hansgrohe and Israel-Premier Tech.

Consequences

Team manager Patrick Lefevere reacted furiously to the statements during a VTM News interview. "It's stupid of him. One week Remco says the rumours are 'bullshit,' the next week, his father declares the opposite. The Evenepoel family needs to be on the same page."

The consequences of any departure would be "incalculable both for him and us", he said. "I wouldn't like to be in his shoes. If a contract is not respected, there will be a lawsuit … He could be suspended if the UCI plays the role it should."

 ^{© ANDREA AMATO/LIVEMEDIA}