"The entire sport will be put to shame" - Fuming Jan Bakelants slams potential Jumbo-Visma & Soudal - Quick-Step merger
Cycling
Ever since it was first reported that two of cycling's most successful and most well-known teams, Soudal - Quick-Step and Jumbo-Visma could be merging, almost everyone in the sport has shared their opinion. It's doubtful any have been as vociferous as Jan Bakelants however.
Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, the former Tour de France stage winner gave a scathing response to the rumours and slammed both teams for the potential damage they could cause to the sport as a whole if the deal were to come true.
“The adverse consequences of this potential takeover for cycling are very significant,” Bakelants explains. “A strong sports body should veto. I just don't think this should happen. The entire sport will be put to shame if this were to continue. The explanation is: we have to do this to compete with the Middle East. I have never read so much nonsense."
"If there was one team that destroyed everything, it was Jumbo-Visma. Then the teams from the Middle East would have to form a cartel against Jumbo-Visma," he continues. “What does Richard Plugge have to gain? I think there was a concrete offer from the Middle East and that led to a conflict of conscience. Then this would be the quick solution. Why? It seems to me that there was still time to see what else was possible.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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