"No one in the group behind it? Sorry, that's not Soudal Quick-Step" - Patrick Lefevere left gobsmacked after E3 Saxo Classic performance

Soudal - Quick-Step have long lost their dominant grip on the cobbled classics, but over 2022 and now 2023 their struggle deepens. Patrick Lefevere was very disappointing with the team's performance at the E3 Saxo Classic and was not easy with his words.

“During the E3 Classic I had a tasty lunch in restaurant Castor in Waregem, two Michelin stars. With that we have had everything that was good yesterday: the food. The performance of the team was below par. Furthermore, I did not dare to look," Lefevere said in his weekly Het Nieuwsblad. The response of Soudal - Quick-Step's manager was expected to be harsh, which was now confirmed.

The race was dominated by Tadej Pogacar, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel who looked to be a level above the rest every time the race went uphill. However behind the remaining places in the Top10 were battled between some of the riders they had dropped, alongside Groupama - FDJ and Movistar. The Belgian team was the main chaser at first, but burnt themselves in the process.

“Those are phenomena. But also no one in the group behind it? Sorry, that's not Soudal Quick-Step. I said my thoughts on the bus. As always without shouting," Lefevere continued. "Then I hear from Kasper Asgreen 'I did my best', from Florian Sénéchal 'I fell', from Julian Alaphilippe 'I woke up with abdominal pain and a slight fever'. What do you want me to say to that? If you have a fever, don't start. And I have to do my best at the end of the month.”

The pressure and weight of the jersey backfired on the prospect of a result for Quick-Step, whose management clearly does not settle with a place in the Top10. Yves Lampaert was the team's highest finisher in 16th place, whilst Kasper Asgreen who was very active when the race first exploded was dropped beyond sight of the chasing groups.

“I had already seen it during the race: we rode very aggressively at the front, ninety kilometers from the finish. Alaphilippe in the lead, Asgreen in the lead. Sorry, but I'm not going to get into that. If you already set course at that moment, it is because you know what will happen later," the manager continued.

Thoughts now switch towards Gent-Wevelgem, which already takes place tomorrow and sees the team with an opportunity to improve on yesterday's disappointement: “In the meantime, we are considering doing what we actually don't want to do there: drafting both Tim Merlier and Fabio Jakobsen. Fabio likes to ride. and we don't have many arguments for leaving him at home.

"In Gent-Wevelgem we can already forget the E3 and if that doesn't work, Mauro Schmid can already win the Settimana Coppi e Bartali today," Lefevere concluded.