“Some teams think they can buy everything because they have a lot of money”: Soudal Quick-Step refuses to sell one of the most exciting young climbers despite Q36.5 interest

Henrique Bravo has emerged as one of the most promising stage-race talents in the U23 peloton, and his performances have already attracted interest from outside Soudal - Quick-Step. Pinarello-Q36.5 is reportedly pushing to sign the 20-year-old Brazilian, but Soudal CEO Jurgen Foré has made it clear that the Belgian team has no intention of letting him leave.

Bravo's 2026 season has significantly raised his profile. The pocket-sized climber finished third at the Giro Next Gen, fourth at the Tour de l'Ain and fifth at the Tour de l'Avenir, establishing himself as one of the riders to watch in the next generation of stage racers.

He is currently racing the Tour de Slovaquie, where he is Soudal's main hope for the general classification.

That progress has reportedly led to a substantial offer from the Swiss ProTeam, believed to be considerably higher than the contract Bravo currently has with Soudal Quick-Step. There is, however, a major obstacle: the Brazilian remains under contract with the Belgian team until the end of 2028.

Foré insists that agreement is not something his team is prepared to disregard. “Some teams think they can buy everything because they have a lot of money,” Foré told Sporza. “But in this sport, a contract is still worth something.”

The Soudal Quick-Step team manager was even more unequivocal when discussing the possibility of a transfer. “We will never agree to Henrique's transfer. He is happy with us. We discovered him and found a house for him in Spain. We have invested a lot in him. He still has a contract for two years and that contract is clear. As far as we are concerned, there is absolutely no room to discuss it.”

Bravo's importance to Soudal Quick-Step is particularly significant because the team has been looking to strengthen its options for stage races. However, the situation is complicated by another issue: Soudal Quick-Step's 2027 roster is already packed. The Belgian team is therefore having to work around its existing commitments to make sure Bravo has enough opportunities to develop.

Foré does not see that as a reason to let the youngster go. “We can always make room,” he said. “I spoke to him for half an hour last Sunday. What difference would it make? Pinarello-Q36.5 is not a WorldTour team either. We have drawn up the program for the next two years and discussed it with him. It also includes races such as the Vuelta a Burgos, where he can be a protected rider.”

Despite Bravo's impressive results, Foré believes the Brazilian's development is far from complete. The team manager pointed to one skill as an area where he still needs to improve.

“Henrique still has some goals to achieve in the U23 category. For example, he still has to learn how to race in echelons, because that hurt him in the Tour de l'Avenir,” Foré said.

“I think there are simply some people who have waved their big wallets around to drive him crazy.”