"Pogacar who dominates Flanders, and then you have Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pedersen" - Former Quick-Step leader on team's regression in the classics

Soudal - Quick-Step were for years, even decades, at the forefront of the cobbled classics. With several legends going through their ranks, the Belgian team was used to winning at home, but in recent years it has not only lacked the power to contest with the new leaders; but also largely also lacked the power to be in the fight for top results in the main classics.

This began to happen in the 2020's. Kasper Asgreen took a strong victory over Mathieu van der Poel at the 2021 Tour of Flanders, however from there on the Belgian team began to go under, with the gap to the top growing by the year.

"After that, we started to lag behind. Other teams made a big push and overruled us, especially Jumbo-Visma at that time. The super-talented Van der Poel was also dominating everywhere," Lampaert said in the Live Slow Ride Fast podcast. "We lacked such a talent in the team at that time".

Visma had a strong hold of the cobbled classics outside of the monuments for a long time, whilst Mathieu van der Poel has been consistently winning monuments left and right for several years. Quick-Step in the meantime has had to begin dealing with Tadej Pogacar who made the switch to the classics, and also Mads Pedersen who took the next step. But within the team, no-one matched that evolution.

"We were at our wits' end, a bit like a funeral silence. 'How is this happening? What's wrong with it?' We're simply up against phenomenal talents. Pogacar who dominates Flanders, and then you have Van der Poel and Van Aert. Pedersen is also hurting us, last year's Gent-Wevelgem, for example, when you see how hard Pedersen rode there. That was phenomenal," Lampaert argues.

The veteran himself is not longer in contention for the top classics as he was in previous years, however it was a general lack of quality and the investment in the team's climber block to back Remco Evenepoel which led to this change. However, this year the priorities shift once more, and the signing of two monuments winners such as Jasper Stuyven and Dylan van Baarle can turn the tide on a few rough years.

"Collectively, we lacked strength. In the past, it was a real battle to get into the squad. Now, the squad is clear in advance. Our squad for the Tour was broader than the squad for the classics".

But besides its new signings, they team has something to look forward to: "We're definitely stronger in depth. Last year, for example, we started Paris-Roubaix with four riders making their debut. That would have been unthinkable in the past. With Van Baarle and Stuyven, and hopefully also with Paul Magnier – who can still take another step – we have men for the finale."

The Frenchman is a strong sprinter but has equally shown great talent in the short and explosive climbs, a lot like Arnaud de Lie who has similarly grown inside a Belgian team. This spring Magnier will be testing himself in larger races during the spring, and the team may end up backing him in several races.

"As a second-year professional, he took nineteen victories. There was only one person who did better, and that was Pogacar. Of course, Pogacar's victories were of higher quality, but you have to do it at that age," the veteran argues. "Winning four out of five stages in the Tour of Slovakia, that's for sure."

"Last year, after the Omloop, I said I see him as a new Tom Boonen. He's very athletic, has substance, and is incredibly fast at the finish. When he sprints head-to-head, he and Merlier might just be the fastest riders at the moment."