"When he’s good, he has the whole package" - Soudal - Quick-Step are not afraid to gamble on Ethan Hayter
Cycling
Ethan Hayter seemed set to become the next big thing when he kept winning at B-tier races left right and center in 2021 and 2022, but then the 26-year-old suddenly disappeared from the radar. However Soudal - Quick-Step showed that they believe in the Briton's talent when they offered him a two-year contract at the end of last season. And a chance of redemption.
"In some ways, I’m probably better now than I was back then [in 2021 and 2022], but in other ways maybe I could improve," Hayter tells Rouleur at the Volta a Catalunya, his first European race with his new team. "It’s about getting the balance right of the training that you do and focusing on and targeting some events. My role changed a bit last year and I was working for other guys a lot, and that changes the rider you are."
"You always like to [win consistently] but it’s not always possible, and it’s not been the easiest past 12 months or so, so it’d be nice to start winning again." After all, fighting the best is always more fun than being the best towel boy.
Versatility was one of Hayter's main strengths when younger, but now it's become a bit of burden when the legs don't go as well as they used to. "It’s a problem I have sometimes: what am I best at? I’ve been good at lots of things, but not excelled at much. But maybe I need to focus on something. It’s tricky, I need to work it out, but it’s a nice problem to have. The problem is, though, everyone else is so good."
However Soudal - Quick-Step remain confident in their new recruit: "When he’s good, with Ethan you have the whole package," says team sports director Klaas Lodewyck. "It’s just searching for the legs, but we believe once he’s in a really good condition he’ll be a good asset for our team."
Can he return to the heights he reached only a few years ago? "I wouldn’t say a level like Van Aert, but we believe when he’s in good shape he can get over a climb very easily, and he has a fast sprint which we’ve seen in the past," Lodewyck continues. "We’re not taking it race-by-race with Ethan as that’s a short-term vision, but we have an idea of where we want to have him, and we’ll see how he’s going and how he evolves."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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