Lefevere, on Unzué's substitutions idea: "Cycling is not football. Who is going to decide when an injury or illness is real?"
Cycling
Eusebio Unzué, director of the Movistar team, has recently raised the possibility of introducing a system of substitutions in cycling, with the aim of providing a more human approach to racing. However, his colleague Patrick Lefevere, leader of the Belgian team, Soudal Quick-Step, does not share this vision.
Unzué proposes that, in the event that a rider drops out during the first week of a grand tour, teams should have the opportunity to replace him. He argues that this would be fair to those riders who are left out of the main lineup, despite having prepared for the competition. He believes that cycling needs to evolve and adopt more humane rules.
However, Lefevere disagrees with this idea. Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, he expressed his disagreement, arguing that allowing substitutions would erase the very essence of grand tours. He says the challenge lies in completing the three weeks of racing and that allowing changes would undermine the importance of endurance and the ability of teams to adapt.
"I've known Unzué for a long time. He has good intentions, but sometimes he is too sweet. In this case, I don't agree with him. With this rule, the whole history of grand tours is erased. It's just the challenge of maintaining three full weeks. Tour, Giro and Vuelta last 21 days, not 17 or 15. I also think it's human, but we're not going to turn them into wimps, are we?" commented Lefevere.
In addition, Lefevere points out that crashes and illness are inherent elements of cycling, and part of a team's merit lies in its ability to overcome these adversities and stick to a plan B:
"Unfortunately, falls and illnesses are part of it. So much of your team's success is in resilience, in being able to switch to a plan B. Those are the moments when great champions pick themselves up, bounce back after a setback: that's what people want to see. Management is boxing: just because you're on the ropes at one point doesn't mean you lose the field."
The Belgian manager also raises concerns about the feasibility of implementing a substitution system. He questions who would determine the severity of an injury or illness, and how it would distinguish between fatigue and medical conditions. He also expresses skepticism about the fairness of such a system and the ability of doctors to properly assess each situation:
"Cycling is not soccer. Who is going to decide when an injury or illness is real? I'm already looking forward to the VAR. It will be absolutely impartial and will no doubt be composed of French doctors. No, this is going to make our hair stand on end. I'm not going to stop it, but I'm not going to support it either. It will be for cycling after Lefevere".
MATXIN
On the other hand, Joxean Fernández Matxin, sport director of UAE Team Emirates, does not completely rule out Unzué's idea, but acknowledges its complexity. He suggests a simpler variant that would give each team the right to change one rider during the last week of the competition.
"It's complicated. Who's going to assess whether a fall is serious enough? How bad does an injury have to be? Does the kneecap have to be broken, or is knee pain enough? What about fatigue? After two weeks of running, exhaustion is a lot like being sick. Still, I love the idea itself. I'm in favor of a simple variant, without medical criteria: I would give each team the right to change a rider in the last week," Matxín commented.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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🇪🇸 Eusebio Unzué, Movistar team manager 🗣️ "Why not allow substitutes when a rider is forced to abandon a Grand Tour during the first week? All teams prepare 10-12 riders for a Grand Tour, so you still got 2 or 3 of them at home." (L'Équipe)
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