“Is Soudal - Quick-Step strong enough” - Wiggins urges Evenepoel to consider team switch ahead

Bradley Wiggins has backed Remco Evenepoel to challenge for the yellow jersey in future editions of the Tour de France, but only if he starts to think bigger about his long-term team options.

The 2012 Tour winner praised Evenepoel’s trajectory, highlighting his white jersey win and stage victory on debut at the 2024 Tour, followed by a golden double at the Paris Olympics. But Wiggins believes that if the Belgian wants to win cycling’s most prestigious prize, his current team might be a limiting factor.

“Remco is a special rider. Of course it will be difficult, but he now has the experience of last year. He knows that he can keep it up for three weeks,” Wiggins told Sporza. “Remco is also returning from an injury, so I think that he will probably reach a level in the Tour de France that we have not seen this year.”

Evenepoel is set to line up against the sport’s two dominant stage racers in Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, and Wiggins is under no illusions about how tough that will be. But he believes the Belgian could benefit from the dynamics between the pair.

“Remco needs to take advantage of a possible cat-and-mouse game between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. He needs to hang on as long as possible uphill and then use the time trials to make up time.”

“He mustn't forget that he also has weapons, such as his time trial. The other two are jealous of that too. When he has his day, he can put his foot next to them.”

However, Wiggins raised doubts about Evenepoel’s support structure at Soudal – Quick-Step, especially in light of Patrick Lefevere’s departure and the team’s lack of high-calibre climbers, particularly this year without Mikel Landa.

“Is Soudal - Quick-Step strong enough to be a team with a potential overall winner? Especially now that Patrick has left. Maybe he should look for other places,” Wiggins said. “Look at the composition of teams like Visma–Lease a Bike and UAE. They have riders as domestiques who can win major tours themselves. Soudal - Quick-Step is not at that level.”

He pointed to Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe and INEOS Grenadiers as teams with the strength in depth to give Evenepoel the support he needs. “A move to a team like Ineos or Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe could lift him to that next level. Because individually he has the qualities to win the Tour.”