Remco Evenepoel, on the merger: "Right now, there are only question marks"

Amid the whirlwind of news surrounding the possible merger between the Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step teams, Remco Evenepoel, one of the favorites for Il Lombardia, has shared his thoughts on the trending topic.

Speaking to VTM and Het Laatste Nieuws, Evenepoel expressed his confusion and the lack of information surrounding this possible merger. "We have zero information. And, therefore, we have no answers either," he stated candidly.

Evenepoel, known for his ambition and determination in racing, was equally surprised by the lack of clarity on the matter. "We don't know anything. I only know what you guys know. What you guys write. Right now, there are only question marks, from everyone. All we can do is wait and see. And hope it ends well. What comes to us in the next ten days or two weeks, we can't estimate," he said.

Team general manager Patrick Lefevere had previously mentioned that Evenepoel had held talks with Jumbo-Visma and had also sparked the interest of INEOS Grenadiers amid this uncertainty.

Evenepoel, however, seems to be keeping his cool and opting not to rush his decision. "Look, the thing is, you can and you can sign anywhere until December 31," he noted. "So there's no rush. The winter is still long. But on the other hand, neither, hey. Everybody wants to see as soon as possible what will happen with Soudal Quick-Step. It's almost a vacation, in that sense the latent question marks are not nice at all."

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Evenepoel has his mind set on the Tour of Lombardy and is ready to focus on his last big goal of the season. "I'm here to chase my last big goal of the season, Il Lombardia. That worries me more. We have to do what we are known for: ride as hard as possible and try to get a good result. There are reasons to panic and stress, but we'd better leave that for after the season."