Patrick Lefevere refuses that Jumbo-Visma are superior: "I refuse to believe that those 'yellows' are stronger than our riders"

Soudal - Quick-Step are having a tough spring on the cobbles Elsewhere they have been performing, mainly with Remco Evenepoel putting on great performances this year, but where the Belgian team used to thrive nowadays it struggles. Patrick Lefevere remains very confident of the quality of the team however, comparing it to Jumbo-Visma.

“We are here with the same team that won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the E3 Harelbeke, the Ronde van Vlaanderen and the Flèche Wallone two years ago. Won. I don't see much difference," Lefevere said in an interview with Sporza ahead of the Tour of Flanders.. "We've already taken a few blows this spring, but we're not knocked out yet."

The Belgian team sets off with the likes of Julian Alaphilippe, Kasper Asgreen, Yves Lampaert, Davide Ballerini and Tim Merlier all into the cobbled monument. Lampaert has finished third in the recent Classic Brugge-De Panne, but within all the other riders none has been in contention for a win in recent weeks. More so, as Jumbo-Visma dominated the classics, Quick-Step is not one of the team who has been putting on a challenge.

“I refuse to believe that those 'yellows' are stronger than our riders. That might be on your mind right now. But if you consider yourself defeated in advance, then you better stay at home and play cards," Lefevere concluded. The team's best hopes likely rely on Alaphilippe who showed ability to win this race in 2020 - before he crashed out - who has been under the radar, harmed by bad tactics at Milano-Sanremo and working for Ballerini in Dwars door Vlaanderen.