ANALYSIS: What were Patrick Lefevere’s best moments with Soudal – Quick-Step?

On Tuesday, the cycling world was rocked by the news that Patrick Lefevere would step down as the CEO of Soudal – Quick-Step. After more than two decades at the helm, Lefevere’s departure marks the end of an era for the Belgian squad, one of the most successful teams in professional cycling history.

During his tenure, Lefevere transformed the team into a force to be reckoned with, achieving almost 1,000 victories across both the classics and grand tours, and nurturing some of the sport’s biggest talents. From Tom Boonen’s classics excellence to Remco Evenepoel’s rise, Lefevere has made a huge impact on some of cycling’s best riders of the last 20 years.

As his time with the team draws to a close, after another superb season in 2024, we take a look back at some of Lefevere’s greatest moments with Soudal – Quick-Step and the riders who defined his remarkable journey with the team.

In 2012, then called Omega Pharma – Quick-Step, the team had one of its most successful seasons ever, racking up an astounding 60 victories. At the heart of this success was Tom Boonen, who delivered one of the most extraordinary classics campaigns in cycling history.

That spring, Boonen became the first rider ever to win the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, Gent–Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris–Roubaix in the same year. His victory at Paris–Roubaix, his fourth and last victory in the Hell of the North, was particularly impressive, as he dominated the cobbles as Mathieu van der Poel does today.

There’s no denying that Boonen spring campaign in 2012 confirmed his place as one of the greatest classics riders of all time, but would it have been possible without Lefevere guiding the team? Under Lefevere’s management, the team’s strategic planning, support, and race-day execution created the necessary platform for Boonen’s perfect spring.

When Mark Cavendish joined the team from Team Sky in 2013, expectations were high, and he certainly didn’t let anyone down. Cavendish won his first race with the team at the Tour de San Luis, setting the tone for what would be a phenomenal season, and a record breaking partnership.

The Manx Missile went on to win five stages at the Giro d’Italia, securing the points classification along the way. During the Giro, Cavendish also reached the significant milestone of 100 career wins, and he ended up winning a whopping 165 races before he retired at the end of this year. Of course, Cavendish’s brilliance didn’t stop there, and he added two more stage victories at the Tour de France, bringing his career tally to 25 at cycling’s most prestigious race.

In 2019, Julian Alaphilippe captured the hearts of cycling fans worldwide, and particularly in France, with a dazzling performance at the Tour de France. For two unforgettable weeks, Alaphilippe donned the iconic yellow jersey, holding it until just two days before the race concluded in Paris. For those incredible two weeks in the July of 2019, Alaphilippe rode himself into the hearts of the French people, allowing to dream after year’s of barren spells at the Tour.

Alaphilippe’s performance was extraordinary, including memorable stage wins in Pau and Saint-Étienne, and he refused to give up the yellow jersey on the brutal climbs, even when going up against far superior climbers. His fearless style of racing was a throwback to a more romantic era of cycling, and his efforts earned him the prestigious Velo d’Or trophy at the end of the year.

For French cycling, Alaphilippe’s near-miss rekindled memories of their long wait for a Tour champion. For Soudal – Quick-Step, it was another reminder Lefevere’s knack for identifying and nurturing exceptional talent.

After years of struggles with illness and form, Mark Cavendish returned to Soudal – Quick-Step in 2021 when few other teams were willing to take a chance on him. Lefevere threw a lifeline to his former rider, and his belief in Cavendish paid off spectacularly.

Cavendish achieved one of the most incredible comebacks in cycling history at the 2021 Tour de France. Lefevere may have dreamed of Cavendish winning one stage, but he couldn’t have predicted what came next. Against all odds, Cavendish won four stages, equalling Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 career stage victories at the Tour. Cavendish even won the green jersey, an incredible ten years on from the last time he’d won the points classification at the Tour.

And so once again, Patrick Lefevere pulled off a moment of genius.

Despite Soudal – Quick-Step’s staggering success under Lefevere, the team had to wait until 2022 for its first Grand Tour general classification victory. That milestone came courtesy of non other than Belgian superstar Remco Evenepoel, who dominated the Vuelta a Espana, becoming the first Belgian to win a Grand Tour since 1978.

Evenepoel’s victory marked the culmination of years of careful development by the team that had recognised his talent after he switched from football. The young prodigy’s performances in Spain, coupled with his wins at Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Clásica San Sebastián, and the World Championships, made him the standout young rider of 2022.

And so finally, Lefevere had the one win that he was missing from his collection: a grand tour. And of course earlier this year, Evenepoel made his debut at the Tour de France with a stage win, the white jersey, and third place on the podium. Evenepoel may still prove to be Lefevere’s greatest ever signing, especially if he manages to win the yellow jersey in the coming years.

Patrick Lefevere’s tenure at Soudal – Quick-Step will be remembered as one of the greatest managerial reigns in cycling history. From Tom Boonen’s classics dominance to Remco Evenepoel’s Grand Tour triumph, Lefevere built a legacy of success that few teams can rival. As Jurgen Fore takes over, the cycling world will watch closely to see if “The Wolfpack” can maintain its extraordinary level of success.

In many ways, Lefevere’s departure comes at a rather fitting time. With Julian Alaphilippe leaving the team in 2025, Mark Cavendish retiring from the professional sport, and Remco Evenepoel’s journey well underway, the time was right for Lefevere to exit Soudal – Quick-Step, and leave the next stage of their climb to the top, up to someone else.