“No hard feelings” – Patrick Lefevere lifts the lid on Remco Evenepoel’s Red Bull transfer

Patrick Lefevere has never been one to mince his words, and as Remco Evenepoel prepares to leave Soudal – Quick-Step for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe in 2026, the former Quick-Step boss has given his take on how the move became possible. Lefevere, who led the Belgian squad until the end of 2024 and was the man who first signed Evenepoel in 2019, wrote in Het Nieuwsblad about the mechanics behind the biggest transfer of the season.

"It's always about Belgians, that's no coincidence," Lefevere noted, pointing to the unique employment laws that apply to riders from his country. He framed Evenepoel’s exit within a broader trend of high-profile transfers. "An important question: what have been the major 'three-party agreements' in cycling recently? The transfers where riders switch before their contracts expire? Remco, Maxim Van Gils, and Cian Uijtdebroeks. Going back further in time, we can add Wout van Aert to the list. The court had to rule on his transfer to Jumbo-Visma at the time, but in the end, the rider got his way there too."

For Lefevere, the key lies in Belgian riders’ employment status. "The consequence of the whole story? Belgian cyclists are covered by normal 'employment law.' They have standard holiday pay and occupational accident insurance.

“Good for them, but for the teams, they're not exactly the cheapest option. The point I'm trying to make here: if teams employ riders as independent contractors — which is perfectly legal in many countries — you can stipulate real severance payments in those contracts and 'set' the riders in stone for years."

That protection, Lefevere argues, makes Belgian riders more mobile than their international peers. “It is no secret that UAE Emirates XRG does that,” he continued, referring to how other teams structure contracts. “In principle this is not possible with Belgian riders, because as employees they can always appeal to the 'law of '78', which limits compensation to the salary of the remaining contract period.” In practice, that law makes it far easier for riders like Evenepoel to negotiate their way out of existing deals.

As Lefevere admitted, the legislation ultimately paved the way for Evenepoel’s move. “As I said last week: Remco was granted his transfer. My only comment: I know a little about who made sure everything went smoothly and they are not necessarily the people on the official photo, but no hard feelings. Remco himself will know who to thank and that certainly includes the Belgian legislator.”

The background to Evenepoel’s switch highlights the wider forces shaping the transfer market. Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe were able to swoop in not just because of their financial muscle and ambition, but because Belgian law ensured there were no immovable barriers. For Evenepoel, the timing was also crucial: he had long expressed frustration at Quick-Step’s lack of climbing depth and had been eyeing a team with greater Grand Tour infrastructure.