"If someone wants to leave, there is a price tag attached to it" - Patrick Lefevere indicates Remco Evenepoel can be bought out - but it wouldn't be for cheap

Sunday, 21 July 2024 at 11:00

Remco Evenepoel will normally conclude his debut Tour de France on the final podium, most likely in third spot. That's a very nice result for the young Soudal - Quick-Step leader. In past, there had been rumours that Evenepoel could break out of his contract with Patrick Lefevere's team and head elsewhere, to get better support, but that wouldn't be so easy.

Het Laatse Nieuws asked Patrick Lefevere about whether such move would be even possible. "I'm not Madame Soleil of course," Lefevere grins, referring to a famous French fortune teller. "But we have a contract until the end of 2026."

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"If someone wants to leave, there is a price tag attached to it. We wouldn’t like that, but okay. That contracts are there to be broken? Yes, especially if you have a good lawyer." Evenepoel has been linked in the past to pretty much every bigger team there is around, most recently to the new Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe project. However that is a sheer speculation. And if what Lefevere says is true, then the prizetag on Evenepoel's clause might be higher than the team's yearly budget.

The fact that Evenepoel is on the final podium in his very first participation in the Tour de France bodes well for the future. Although Lefevere does not want to get ahead of himself either. "I hope Remco can win the Tour one day, but Tadej is not that old either. Remco is unlucky that he has to race against the Eddy Merckx of today. But you never know if he won't race or if he has a setback. We have to get to Nice first, then enjoy the moment and then we'll see."