"We could use reinforcements, but we are doing very well with our capabilities" - Louis Vervaeke hits back at criticism of Remco Evenepoel's support

Heading into the Vuelta a Espana, one of the many questions is whether or not Soudal - Quick-Step will be able to match up with the likes of the INEOS Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma superteams. Louis Vervaeke will be part of the Wolfpack and is fed up of the constant criticism.

“It was exactly the same last year. Then we quickly lost Julian Alaphilippe and Pieter Serry and we rode around Remco with five riders for two weeks and we also won the Vuelta," a frustrated Vervaeke told Sporza in a pre-Vuelta interview. "They compare us to the guys from UAE Team Emirates or INEOS Grenadiers , but if you were to compare our salaries to those guys..."

On paper it's true, Jumbo-Visma with the likes of Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard and Sepp Kuss, INEOS with Geraint Thomas, Thymen Arensman and Egan Bernal and UAE Team Emirates with Joao Almeida, Juan Ayuso and Jay Vine may seem stronger than Soudal - Quick-Step based solely around Evenepoel. Vervaeke however, remains confident in his and his teammates ability.

"I'm realistic: I'm not going to win Roubaix or a stage race. I also realize that I am on a different level than them. The media then does not have to say that we are a bad team and that Remco will be alone. We could use reinforcements, but we are doing very well with our capabilities," he explains. "I think we can rise above ourselves, just like in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Then we just checked all day. Jumbo-Visma tried to attack us from all sides and failed. We did that well. But we have to be realistic: I am not Wilco Kelderman or Sepp Kuss."