"When they are there, you know there aren't any opportunities for yourself" - Soudal - Quick-Step signing on racing next to Remco Evenepoel and Tim Merlier
Cycling
Pascal Eenkhoorn is one of the seven new faces in Soudal - Quick-Step jersey in 2025. The former Dutch champion is far from a high-profile signing, but has proven in the past that he can win in important races, given the chance. However over the past two seasons with Lotto, Eenkhoorn walked away with only a couple of second places - statistic he plans to change this year.
With his 28th birthday approaching in February, the all-rounder is entering his strongest years. "I hope so," he tells WielerFlits. "I have a lot of experience that I will now take with me into the coming years, in which I hope to be able to ride good results. For myself, but also for the team. It is a pity that I have not managed to book a victory in the last two years. I have had the chance to win a few times – I would not say close – and I hope that I will get that chance again at Soudal - Quick-Step to be able to finish it off."
The difference between second and third place with winning is normally not that big. Eenkhoorn is confident that he will succeed in the coming years with this team. "With slightly better guidance, better nutrition and better equipment, I hope to win again now. I also think that The Wolfpack is known as a team where opportunities always arise. That is also the team spirit."
In Soudal - Quick-Step, he'll be teammates of some top-tier stars like Remco Evenepoel and Tim Merlier. Eenkhoorn is therefore aware that there'll be times when he'll be inevitably on the domestique duty. "Of course, with Tim Merlier and Remco Evenepoel you have two leaders of the highest level. When they are there, you know that you do not see any opportunities for yourself. But in some other races, those opportunities always arise."
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- and keep in mind the start of many crashes in the group are a violation of every group no no. don’t cross wheels that’s why wout went down, taking the group with himmij11-03-2025
- I haven't been watching cycling for very long but I feel like we are in a golden age with Pogacar, Vingegaard, Roglic, Evenepoel, Pidcock, van der Poel, van Aert (I'm definitely forgetting a lot of other riders)... My point is, we should be celebrating their differences because that is what makes it a golden age for me.Pogboom11-03-2025
- I know I just said I wouldn't feed the troll, but Tadej used to race cross, and is a former national champion. He's not a "crosser" but to say he'll never do CX is inaccurate (again)Evan10-03-2025
- you're saying this in a comment thread on an article specifically about Tadej and Jonas? The internet is about connection. People can connect without having to go off topic to argue or arguing for its own sake. The internet can indeed be a positive place where people agree on things. For the sake of dissent, you put forward very odd views that are poorly thought out. That's what trolling is. I'll stop feeding the trollEvan10-03-2025
- Any two matching riders are a spectacle in any race. Do we have to continually state the obvious by always referring to the same two, even if many strongly disagree and argue they are evenly matched in the races where they meet? Isn’t the point of the internet to enhance and further thought and opinion as opposed to agreeing on a very narrow consensus that kilks conversation?Mistermaumau10-03-2025
- As has been said many times, Jonas is a diesel, never going to focus on one day races, Tadej is a roadie, never going to do MTB or CX.Mistermaumau10-03-2025
- Unless you can ignore the winner to enjoy the rest if the race, hence the comment about using imagination. Easier to do during a race than retrospectively when you’ve discovered someone gets their titles, medals, prize money cancelled and disqualified. Of course, it helps if camera crew look for the action, some channels do better at that than others.Mistermaumau10-03-2025
- I think an article dedicated to Emielien Jeannière is also in order today, amazing performance. Let’s not forget that almost a decade ago he was also 2nd in an important race beating a certain TP.Mistermaumau10-03-2025
- More or less how I see it too. Jonas himself warned publicly 6 months in advance. We were warned of the slippery dry gravel BEFORE the race do riders had no excuse not to take it into account. It’s not for nothing Moho warned Tadej not to follow him downhill in MSR, not every rider has the same skills and each has to know his limit. Tadej was too focused on riding with Pidcock to check his limits. After that, yes of course in a peleton if one goes down (for whatever reason) in a critical place, they’re likely to take others within their limits with them, can’t do very much about that without destroying the sport, that will always be a risk to live with. It’s the same as with development in cars, drivers are made to feel safer so take more risk and become more dangerous to others.Mistermaumau10-03-2025
- I agree with everything he says about rider safety related to bikes and the riders themselves. Every bike company talks abou how many watts have saved off a 40k. Clothing is more aero. Materials are refined and made lighter than ever. All of which means more crashes. And then look at Jonas' tragic crash from a year ago. A bummer of a situation, yes - but Jumbo allegedly emailed the organizer about the bad roads. The organizer keeps them in. So Jonas knew there were bad roads, the organizer keeps them in - but who forced Jonas to go so fast or ride that corner in a group situation? back down, take a different line. races are rarely won on the downhills, they're lost. the organizers can only do so much. the tour of poland situation or leaving cars on the road IS bad. but rough roads? the riders need to own this too. As Tadej said, I was going to fast, and I crashed.mij10-03-2025