"We are very proud of our third place in the world" - Patrick Lefevere gives a rare bit of praise to all his riders after a successful season

Thursday, 07 November 2024 at 23:00

With the 2024 road season over, it's an opportunity to re-evaluate what went well and what quite as much. Team manager of Soudal - Quick-Step can look back at a great season, even though the Wolfpack's misery in spring classics seems to have no end.

Centered around Remco Evenepoel (winner of two Olympic Gold medals, World ITT Champion and 3rd overall at the Tour de France, among others), and sprinter Tim Merlier (winner of 15 professional races this year, including European road race Championships), the Belgian team landed on third spot in the UCI ranking, rounding off the podium far behind dominant UAE Team Emirates and surprsingly close to Visma | Lease a Bike.

Read also

"Keep on praying because it's not going to change" - Bob Roll & Christian Vande Velde analyse Jonas Vingegaard's chances of beating Tadej Pogacar at 2025 Tour de France

All things considered, manager Patrick Lefevere seems to be in unusually cheerful mood recapitulating the 2024 campaign. Long gone are the days when Soudal - Quick-Step dominated classics with limitless firepower and kept winning sprints left and right with the best sprint trains in the world. For the latter part, Tim Merlier still knows his way around in the fast finals, but classics were put aside for a long-term project dubbed 'GC Remco', who along with Mikel Landa carried the Wolfpack's flag high in the biggest (stage) races in the world.

"We are very proud of our third place in the world," Lefevere said in his commentary on team page. "Over the years, we have always aimed to build a team that is consistent throughout the season, which is something that requires a great collective effort, not just from the riders. All this hard work is reflected in the seasonal team standings. We have also shown that we are capable of remaining at the top of the standings for several seasons and not just once, which is another thing that is not easy to do. For this reason, I congratulate everyone."

Read also

Bjarne Riis on compatriot Vingegaard: "If Jonas wants to go to the Tour, I don't think I would do the Giro first"

POLL: Individual Performance of the Year - 2024 CyclingUpToDate End of Season Awards

Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team

@soudalquickstep

·Follow

Another great performance of our squad 💥 Soudal Quick-Step finished 3rd in the UCI World Tour Rankings this year, cementing its place as one of the best men’s cycling teams in the world 🤩 #TheWolfpack #WayToRide

313

Read 1 reply

Who are the top 5 Belgian cyclists of the 21st century: Where do Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert rank?

Eli Iserbyt despises the beer thrower in Koppenbergcross: "It's the lowest and worst thing that can happen at a race"

Just in

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!

Nov 05, 13:04

Belgium lead by European Champion Thibau Nys aim for victory in front of home crowds in first World Cup race of this winter

Nov 21, 06:00

Vincenzo Nibali remains in shape but doesn't plan to ever race again: "Italian cycling needs a leader. I could come back in some capacity, but not as a rider"

Nov 21, 03:00

Canadian amateur blasts Vincenzo Nibali's Strava KOM on Mortirolo: "I just want a chance at a WorldTour team, I'll do whatever you want"

Nov 21, 01:00

"We are very proud of our third place in the world" - Patrick Lefevere gives a rare bit of praise to all his riders after a successful season

Read also

Read also

Just in

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!

Belgium lead by European Champion Thibau Nys aim for victory in front of home crowds in first World Cup race of this winter

Vincenzo Nibali remains in shape but doesn't plan to ever race again: "Italian cycling needs a leader. I could come back in some capacity, but not as a rider"

Canadian amateur blasts Vincenzo Nibali's Strava KOM on Mortirolo: "I just want a chance at a WorldTour team, I'll do whatever you want"

Popular news

"I have a disease" - Wout van Aert causes concerns on Strava after latest training ride

Remco Evenepoel travels to the USA to begin 2025 Tour de France preparation

BORA teammate blasts criticism of Primoz Roglic - "Winning the Dauphiné and the Vuelta a España is being seen as a downside"

Jean-René Bernaudeau: "Look at Pogacar; I like him as a rider; he's nice, but this news about carbon monoxide rebreathers? That damages cycling's reputation"

Latest comments