Jan Hermsen's advise for Soudal-Quick-Step to stop Wout van Aert - "The only way to get Van Aert is to go for him"

The balance of power in the spring classics appears to have shifted from Soudal-Quick-Step to Jumbo Visma, who have asserted their dominance in recent races. Some experts have gone so far as to suggest that it should consider buying out the top riders from its rivals to regain its edge.

During the latest episode of Kop over Kop, Sander Valentijn, Jan Hermsen and Jeroen Vanbelleghem engaged in a discussion about the Belgian team's current situation. Valentijn expressed uncertainty about whether or not there will be any changes in the coming weeks, prompting a response from Vanbelleghem. "It's not going to get better. Remco Evenepoel has to start again in the spring in Liège-Bastogne-Liège to rescue."

He continues, “Yes, it is that simple. It is not going to get better. You can still be lucky in Paris-Roubaix that Lampaert can benefit from certain bad luck situations with other riders. He can certainly win Roubaix that way, but if you look at what has happened in recent weeks, it is indeed Evenepoel who will have to save the spring in Liège, just like last year."

On the other hand, Hermsen suggests the wild idea of acquiring the top rider from the opposing team. "They should have opened their wallets in the winter to buy Van Aert. That man could be worth his weight in gold for Evenepoel in 2024, and he could have done golden business in the spring classics."

"He's Belgian. I think there are definitely sponsors in Belgium who would step up to bring him to a Belgian team. I assume that the QuickStep team management also had concerns in the winter about achieving results compared to Jumbo-Visma. I think the only way to get Van Aert is to go for him. I don't think it will happen, but I would recommend it. I think he has also thought about it himself, but it may no longer be possible budget-wise.”

That being said, Vanbelleghem has some doubts. “On paper, it may seem very nice, but which team can afford two such top riders? Not many, I think. And Van Aert can never be supported at Quick-Step the way he is now at Jumbo-Visma,” he concluded. It is uncertain whether the Belgian team will resort to such extreme measures or focus on developing their current riders.