“Remco Evenepoel can be demanding, but he’s a very calm, pleasant guy” – Quick-Step say goodbye to their leader after 7 successful seasons

Remco Evenepoel’s second place at Il Lombardia last weekend brought more than just the end of the 2025 season — it closed the chapter on a defining era for Soudal - Quick-Step. After seven years, 67 victories and some of the team’s most iconic modern moments, the Belgian superstar has officially said goodbye ahead of his transfer to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.

Evenepoel, who joined the team as a teenage prodigy and developed into one of the sport’s most dominant all-rounders, leaves behind both a glittering palmarès and a lasting imprint on those he worked with.

“Within the team he’s a very calm, pleasant guy to work with — very professional,” team doctor Steven Bex said in quotes collected by Sporza. “At times he can be demanding, but you have to be if you want to be at the top.”

The 25-year-old’s farewell was emotional for staff and team-mates alike. Osteopath Anthony Pauwels, who has worked with Evenepoel since his debut season, described their connection as something far beyond a typical rider-staff relationship. “Remco has a very strong character, he really knows what he wants, but he’s also a good person,” Pauwels said. “I’ve worked with him for seven years, and in that time you build a special relationship.”

Sports director Davide Bramati revealed that Evenepoel even found a quiet moment in the finale of Lombardia to express his gratitude. “Today he thanked us again in the last 500 metres. It would have been beautiful to finish with a win, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.”

When Evenepoel arrived at Quick-Step in 2019, he was still a junior football convert with raw but extraordinary potential. Over time, he matured into the defining figure of the team — the rider who delivered their first Grand Tour victory at Vuelta a España, became a Monument winner, and claimed the world title at UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong.

“As he grew older and gained more experience, he really came to understand his importance to the team,” team spokesman Phil Lowe said. “He realised how big his commercial value was and how crucial it was to work with the media to shape his image.”

Team-mate Pieter Serry, who raced more days alongside Evenepoel than anyone else, reflected on countless shared memories: training camps, race victories, and the world title celebrations in Brussels. “The training camps with him were fantastic moments,” Serry said. “The world championships in Australia, standing on that balcony in Brussels — that’s number one for me.”

Evenepoel’s move to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe could mark a seismic shift in the sport’s balance of power, but at Quick-Step, his departure is framed with pride rather than bitterness. “Remco was a winner — on and off the bike,” Louis Vervaeke said. “But he was also a pleasure to work with.”

The team that shaped him will now watch from a distance as he embarks on a new chapter. For Quick-Step, though, the Evenepoel years will always be remembered as one of their defining eras.