“I hate him. He ignored the rules” – Patrick Lefevere blasts Ralph Denk over Red Bull’s pursuit of Remco Evenepoel

The honeymoon glow around Remco Evenepoel’s perfect start with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe has been met with a very different tone from his former boss. In a blunt and highly personal interview, Patrick Lefevere did not hide his feelings about Ralph Denk or the way Evenepoel’s move away from Soudal - Quick‑Step unfolded.

“I hate him. He ignored the rules,” Lefevere said, reflecting on what he described as a long pursuit from Denk and Red Bull that predated Evenepoel’s eventual departure.

Speaking on La Derniere Heure’s Radio Peloton podcast, Lefevere claimed he had filed a complaint with the Union Cycliste Internationale over the approach to Evenepoel, citing a rule that requires all parties to agree before a rider can break a contract. He alleged that Denk’s attempts to sign the Belgian dated back as far as 2021 and suggested the governing body had been reluctant to act.

“The UCI didn’t say anything because it’s afraid of Red Bull,” Lefevere said. “If it went to court, Red Bull has unlimited financial resources that would bankrupt the UCI.”

These are serious allegations, and they sit in stark contrast to the upbeat narrative that has surrounded Evenepoel’s first weeks in Red Bull colours. While the rider himself has spoken about the meticulous detail within his new environment and the confidence he feels there, Lefevere’s version of events paints a picture of frustration, rule-bending, and a power shift in modern cycling.

Lefevere said the trouble began well before Evenepoel’s eventual exit, insisting that the contact from Denk was persistent. “I sold the Remco project to Soudal for five years. And then, after three years, the trouble started. Ralph Denk offered Remco a contract. And after that, it never stopped.”

He drew a comparison with his own past, acknowledging he had once been involved in a contentious transfer with Frank Vandenbroucke in the 1990s, but stressed he had not repeated such behaviour since. He even referenced turning down the chance to sign Wout van Aert in 2018 under similar circumstances.

“At one point, I could have taken Wout van Aert. I told him he was welcome to join us if he paid the compensation for breaking his contract, but he didn’t do it.”

Despite the anger, Lefevere did show a degree of understanding towards Evenepoel himself.

“Yes and no,” he said when asked if he could understand the rider’s decision. “I can understand that you might get fed up with your entourage. And well, I can also understand that if you’re ambitious, you think the grass is greener elsewhere. I just hope he doesn’t ask to come back in two years.”

That closing line carries both resignation and bitterness. It also underlines how personal this saga has become.

All of this unfolds as Evenepoel has enjoyed a flawless competitive debut with Red Bull at the Challenge Mallorca, winning the team time trial before adding two solo victories in the days that followed. Those performances have been widely praised as evidence that the move has immediately paid off from a sporting perspective.

But Lefevere’s comments reveal a parallel story behind the scenes. One that speaks to how transfers at the top of cycling are increasingly shaped by financial muscle, long-term courting, and blurred lines around contracts.

Whether or not his claims hold weight beyond his own testimony, they add a sharp edge to what had, until now, looked like a smooth and celebratory new chapter for Evenepoel and Red Bull.