"Without Remco, there’s not much team left" - Patrick Lefevere disappointed by Soudal - Quick-Step's Spring performances

Long gone are the days where Soudal - Quick-Step would dominate the Spring Classics. In 2025, wins for Tim Merlier at Scheldeprijs and Remco Evenepoel at Brabantse Pijl were they only successes, leaving former team boss Patrick Lefevere somewhat disappointed.

“Too many riders are underperforming,” writes the now-retired Lefevere, in his column for Het Nieuwsblad, as always never afraid to speak his mind. "It’s something I’ve always hammered on each spring: you only evaluate the classics season after Liege–Bastogne–Liege. Staying true to my own rule, today I’ll share my unfiltered opinion on Soudal - Quick-Step’s spring. To put it mildly, I was left wanting."

As mentioned, Merlier and Evenepoel did manage to at least add a win apiece to their palmares' this Spring, with Merlier also taking 2nd at Gent Wevelgem, and the team's next great hope, Paul Magnier taking a close 2nd at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad all the back on Opening Weekend. "A win in a smaller race can hide a lot, but your real value is shown in the major classics," the former team boss asserts.

Thanks to a December training crash, Evenepoel was absent for much of the Spring. This in essence, shows why Soudal - Quick-Step can't afford to let the Olympic champion leave according to Lefevere. "Without Remco, there’s not much team left," claims the Belgian former team boss, reflecting that big changes need to be made in order for 'The Wolfpack' to get back to their best. "We need to be willing to look in the mirror — but also to make tough decisions."

"Of course, everyone wants to keep Remco — our sponsors are crystal clear about that. But what if the gap between demand and offer is too wide? Or if the other party simply doesn’t want to renew? Then, as we saw with Lotto and Maxim Van Gils, you’d prefer to ‘cash in’ with a transfer the year before the contract ends," Lefevere concludes. "If no extra sponsors come on board, the team could certainly use that money. But the real question then becomes: how much of a team is left without Remco?"