"A very strange situation" - Former Quick-Step rider Zdenek Stybar fears merger could hinder his chances of signing for a team in 2024
CyclingWednesday, 04 October 2023 at 13:00
Zdenek Stybar's contract at Team Jayco AlUla expires at the end of the year but the Czech rider fears that his hopes of finding a new World Tour contract may be hindered by the potential merger between Jumbo-Visma and Stybar's former team, Soudal - Quick-Step.
"My contract is ending and it's going to be very difficult. This situation doesn't really help me. I would like to get another result and I will try to do that, so I will keep fighting. But it's difficult," worries the 37-year-old in conversation with In de Leiderstrui.
Around 20 riders are thought to be joining the unemployment list if the merger between Soudal - Quick-Step and Jumbo-Visma were to go ahead. For riders such as Stybar, this means there will be much more competition for available spots in different World Tour teams.
"Of course that is a very strange situation. It might be a shame for Quick Step, because what has been built up over the years might disappear," says Stybar. "But sometimes you can't stop such an evolution. There will certainly be a business model behind it, with people like Zdenek Bakala behind it."
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Zdenek Stybar is correct. A Visma-Soudal merger will have a ripple effect throughout the entire peloton, as a number of current World Tour riders will be searching for new contracts, with some possibly having to drop down to a Pro level team for next season. This in turn will have an effect on riders with current contracts in the Pro ranks as well.