"I will certainly not be hopelessly alone" - Yves Lampaert ready to lead Soudal - Quick-Step in the classics without Julian Alaphilippe
Cycling
Wielerflits recently caught up with Yves Lampaert as he prepares for the 2025 season. With Kasper Asgreen and Julian Alaphilippe leaving Soudal – Quick-Step, the Belgian rider is set to take on greater responsibility in the classics.
For Lampaert, their departures could also mean less internal competition for leadership roles. “That was always okay. I will miss those guys. They were not only super good guys on the bike, but also off the bike.”
The 33-year-old has a strong pedigree in the cobbled classics, having won Dwars door Vlaanderen in both 2017 and 2018. Despite his new leadership role, he won’t be entirely alone in major races.
“Tim Merlier will also be there a few times. Think of a Gent-Wevelgem or Paris-Roubaix, for example. So I will certainly not be hopelessly alone.” His confidence remains high as he looks ahead to key one-day races.
Lampaert is also mindful of how rival teams will shape race dynamics. "It mainly depends on how the other teams will take control of the race. It remains to be seen whether UAE Emirates-XRG will take control of a race like E3 Saxo Classic right from the start or whether they will first look at it from behind."
He specifically referenced Tadej Pogacar’s return to Flemish races, which could shake up the usual tactical approaches. The Slovenian’s presence will likely influence how aggressive teams are willing to be early on.
Another major change for Soudal – Quick-Step heading into 2025 is Patrick Lefevere stepping down as CEO. "I've always had respect for our boss and we'll definitely miss him. He could sometimes put you in your place, but it was always with a lot of love and with the best intentions."
Lampaert will hope to make an impressive start to 2025, as the team adapt to the post Lefevere era.
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- His basic attitude always has been (and we know age often reinforces inherent values), if I’m going down I’m going to try taking you with me.Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- I know it’s tradition and nice but to make the discussion more interesting, if an Arkea rider had driven up to tell Alpecin or UAE to ease off for Mozzato or Vauquelin having a P, would they have been as gentlemanly?Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- That’s probably about right although if they’d talked it over it would have been in all their interests to work together to chase Pog down because those 4 arriving at the finish in that scenario would have left all 4 with a chance of victory.Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- Exactly, that easily makes for a minute at the front. You don’t see Pog cracking often either (less often than MVDP even) but when he does it’s lights out and over too. This is completely normal and to be expected, at the level of competitiveness all these guys are they only crack once they’ve pushed beyond their manageable limit and there’s no coming back from that. When your rival forces you into the red to keep or catch up, it’s over, in that respect, well done to WVA who seems to be world champion in staying just outside the red for as long as he can.Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- If I remember well, Pidcock slowed, whether out of respect or strategically or just happy he could ease off a bit, only he knows. Your point?Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- I believe Mathieu rather gets beaten by a stronger rider than one who raced smarter. That is why he wanted to team up with Pogacar to drop the JV riders and Mads who were not helping in the chase of the first group since they had a teammate up front.JoostMehrtens08-04-2025
- Just shows that LA is not truly repentant. JUSTICE was served. No winner, no second , no third on the podium for those 7 years. No real winners could be determined, ever. Lance got to keep most of his money , he really should can it . He is toxic to cycling.dave08-04-2025
- Tricky one as while I agree Pogi and UAE are simply faster over a long distance which means Visma and MVP need to be as smart with energy use as can, it's also been proven in the past that one way for Pogi to be beaten is relentless attacks, to put him into the red. However that does require a rider to as good as sacrifice themselves for that one move which makes riskHoopoeChai07-04-2025
- Even if not technically against the rules, this is just bad etiquette and frankly I hope the rest of pelaton remembers Arkea don't care about etiquette or honoring tradition which means they shouldn't benifit from it.HoopoeChai07-04-2025
- The other issue is that Mad Petersen and Wout would have let MVDP do most of the work, as he kept showing he was stronger. MVDP did the strategy with the highest likelihood of victory, he just wasn't strong enough.acem8207-04-2025