Evenepoel exit ‘not the end’ of team, insist Soudal-QuickStep

Speaking to Sporza on Tuesday evening, Soudal-QuickStep CEO Jurgen Foré insisted that there was life for his team after Evenepoel’s departure, even if Soudal’s initial arrival as sponsor had been predicated on his presence. 

“This is absolutely not the end of the team,” Foré said.

The official announcement arrived on Tuesday afternoon, but Foré acknowledged that the deal was already in motion even before Evenepoel’s ill-fated second appearance at the Tour de France last month. 

Evenepoel had already come close to moving to Red Bull a year ago, and this time it quickly became clear that he was now set on extricating himself from Soudal-QuickStep a year before the expiry of his contract.

“It’s a kind of relief that there’s clarity,” Foré said. “The intention was to start discussions about the future after the Tour, which was a big goal for both of us. In June, it became clear that there was little opportunity for an extended stay. Because of what had already happened, we felt we didn’t need to push for it. So we didn’t.”

Evenepoel was required to buy out the final year of his contract in order to secure his move to Soudal-QuickStep. While Foré declined to divulge the figure, he indicated that all parties had been eager to avoid a legal battle over Evenepoel’s future.

“We're not going to discuss sums, but it’s a fair amount. Although sponsors like Soudal would prefer to see a contract honoured, we decided we didn’t want to go to court,” said Foré, who added that sponsors had been kept abreast of developments in recent days. “The rumours were becoming untenable behind the scenes. Now it’s up to us to outline the vision for the future.”

Despite Evenepoel’s departure, Foré claimed that “chasing GC positions and winning stages in Grand Tours will certainly be part of that.” 

The team also appear to be making a bid to revive their Classics DNA after some subdued seasons on the cobbles, with Jasper Stuyven and Edward Planckaert already confirmed as new signings for 2026.

“Tim Merlier is responsible for half of our victories this year, so I think we now need to start racing broadly and as a team again,” said Foré, who replaced the retired Patrick Lefevere as CEO last winter.

“We’ve done everything we can to make Remco happy. I want to turn the page now and have confidence in the team. We’ve been around for 23 years and have written many chapters. This is just one of them.

“Our time was turbulent, but everything always went smoothly and professionally. It’s a wonderful chapter, and I look forward to writing new ones.”