Johan Bruyneel warns Remco Evenepoel to be cautious with Tour de France ambitions: "He cannot yet compete with Vingegaard and Pogacar"

Remco Evenepoel's future in cycling is currently foggy. There is no certainty that Soudal - Quick-Step will continue, and if it won't it's also not clear in any way where the Belgian could go to. With the Tour de France looming for next summer, Johan Bruyneel believes the Belgian doesn't yet have the level to compete for the win.

"The departure of Primoz Roglic, led by Richard Plugge, suggests that Evenepoel will soon switch to the new Visma-Soudal team. If Soudal makes the switch, Patrick Lefevere will most likely no longer have sufficient financial resources to keep Evenepoel on board," Johan Bruyneel said recently. "I think the bicycle manufacturer Specialized has a crucial role in Evenepoel's case, as he has entered into a personal contract with them. This makes it seem likely that Specialized will join Plugge's team. This may mean that Cervélo has to make way."

It is quite uncertain at the time being how the coming weeks will look for Evenepoel. The work to merge Jumbo-Visma and Soudal - Quick-Step is certainly ongoing within the managements, but it is not known yet whether it will be accepted. There is the possibility that a new team will be created and have as a base what is much of Quick-Step currently, but there is also the possibility that things remain rather the same.

Bruyneel believes that joining a stronger structure would be good for Evenepoel. "From a sporting perspective, this is the perfect step for Evenepoel. His father previously emphasized that Evenepoel needs a better environment to achieve its goals, and Jumbo-Visma offers exactly that environment," he argues. "It is the ultimate reference in contemporary cycling. Especially with the departure of Roglic, all opportunities will open up for Evenepoel."

With the Tour de France debut set for next year, the team looked to build a block around the time-trial World Champion. It may not be used after all, but either ways Bruyneel thinks that Evenepoel has not yet reached the level to take the win in what is the most prestigious event in cycling. "If he is realistic, he will probably recognize that he cannot yet compete with Vingegaard and Pogacar for the final victory.

"Nevertheless, in all other races he would be the leader, with the best possible scientific support and logistics behind him. My only concern is that Evenepoel is clearly a real leader and usually aspires to the role of leader. However, at Visma-Soudal he would have to share the leadership, not only with Vingegaard but also with Wout van Aert. That is why I do not completely rule out a possible switch to INEOS," he concludes.