"I just hope that those making the decisions do the right thing by the riders" - Leading agent raises concern over rider welfare if proposed Visma-Soudal merger were to go through

The much-talked-about, proposed merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal - Quick-Step has the potential to leave many riders out of work and it's this issue that leading agent João Correia believes could be a concern.

"My concern is that in these situations it’s the riders who get hurt and I just hope that those making the decisions do the right thing by the riders," Correia told GCN with as much as 20 riders set to become unemployed should the merger come to fruition. "I can see a situation where some riders are paid because they have a contract but that there isn’t a team to race for."

Correia currently advocates for the likes of Tao Geoghegan Hart, Mads Pedersen, Coryn Labecki and Soudal - Quick-Step rider Casper Pedersen. "If one of those teams disappears, then the licence can be absorbed but not all the athletes. I think we could be looking at 20 riders out of work," he says concernedly.

Another aspect to take into consideration are the non-rider staff members who near 100 on the books of Soudal - Quick-Step and could all be left in the lurch given the potential merger. With so many questions still be answered, a lot remains unclear about the ramifications of a Visma-Soudal team forming.