“We would have liked to have Pavel Sivakov or Laurens De Plus" - Patrick Lefevere reveals Soudal - Quick-Step missed out on top climbing targets
Cycling
Soudal - Quick-Step are very keen to reinforce their climbing ranks during this transfer period as they look to help support the Grand Tour quests of Remco Evenepoel. As team boss Patrick Lefevere admits though, they missed out on their two top targets.
“We would have liked to have Pavel Sivakov or Laurens De Plus, but the former was too expensive and Laurens decided to stay with INEOS Grenadiers," the Belgian laments in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad. "We were also interested in Carlos Verona, but he already signed in February. I refuse to participate in that. The transfer of Mikel Landa can now be completed at any time."
That signing of Landa is one that Lefevere hopes will please Evenepoel, ensuring the 2022 Vuelta a Espana and World Championship winner stays at Soudal - Quick-Step at least for the foreseeable future.
“At the age of 33, he decided to work for Remco for two years," he explains. "Through a caretaker of ours who knows him well, he made the first contacts himself. I think Remco is happy with that, even though he doesn't really make many demands himself.”
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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Which Soudal Quick-Step rider are you? 😁 Photo: @BeelWout
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