Patrick Evenepoel, the father of Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepeol is not sure that his son will continue to ride at Soudal-Quick Step next season, reports Sporza and La Dernière Heure on Saturday. According to Patrick, the team must take four or five steps to optimally assist Remco in his hunt for victory in the Tour de France.
"Remco dreams of winning the Tour," Patrick told La Dernière Heure Saturday morning. "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"
Remco's father indicated that his son would like to stay with Patrick Lefevere's team but that there are other options. For example, the world champion has been courted by Ineos Grenadiers for a while now. "There is not only interest from Ineos. I have been in contact with five big names, three of which showed very concrete interest." According to Het Laatste Nieuws, they are Lidl-Trek, BORA-hansgrohe and Israel-Premier Tech. "That also makes sense since Soudal-Quick Step is unsure if it can guarantee Remco that he can win the Tour next year. Maybe they can in three years, but Remco already wants to go for Tour wins starting next year. So I can't ensure that he will stay."
Consequences
Team manager Patrick Lefevere reacted furiously to Patrick's 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 will be incalculable both for him and us," the team manager threatened. "Therefore, I would not like to be in his shoes. If a contract is not respected, there will be a lawsuit. Since it's always forbidden to change teams if you're still under contract somewhere and don't agree with the three parties, he could be suspended if the UCI plays the role it should."
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