BREAKING | Patrick Lefevere announces departure as Soudal Quick-Step CEO 21 years after creating team

This Tuesday seemed like an entirely UAE Team Emirates-oriented day with the team's 2025 open day. However, Soudal - Quick-Step stole all the limelight with shocking breaking news: Patrick Lefevere will no longer be the Belgian team manager!

The official Quick-Step statement was released just moments ago. It broke the news and announced that Jorgen Foré, the team's current chief operating officer, will succeed Lefevere in the role as of January 1, 2025.

"Soudal - Quick-Step has announced a change in its management structure, which will see Patrick Lefevere step down as CEO on December 31, 2024. Under the new agreement, the current COO, Jurgen Foré, will become CEO and will take over the day-to-day management of the team," Quick-Step's statement begins to read.

In addition to announcing the dismissal of Lefevere and the appointment of Foré as the new director, Quick-Step also pays tribute to the figure of the former: "Patrick Lefevere founded Soudal Quick-Step in 2003, combining his vision of the sport of cycling with the economic and business knowledge he acquired as an accountant, to build what would become the most successful team in professional cycling."

"Under Lefevere's leadership, the team has achieved almost 1,000 victories, including 22 Monuments, 1 Grand Tour and 124 Grand Tour stages, 3 Olympic gold medals, 19 World Championship golds and 4 European Championships, as well as countless other races," it added.

Below are Patrick Lefevere's statements after the news broke: "It is a life-changing moment for me to leave a role to which I have dedicated so much of my life. Cycling is a sport that I am still deeply passionate about, and it has been a great honor to lead this beautiful team and create so many special memories."

"There are countless people I have to thank, too many to mention individually, but of course there is my family, the talented riders on the team, our dedicated staff, our loyal sponsors, all backed by the generosity and support of our owner."