Evenepoel set for Red Bull move as three-party deal and €2m buyout reported
It's one of the most talked-about cycling transfer rumours of recent years, and it's looking increasingly likely that a deal will come to fruition.
Belgian star Remco Evenepoel has reportedly reached a multi-year agreement with German WorldTour team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe that would see him join the team in 2026, according to Italian journalist Ciro Scognamiglio from La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Sources told @Gazzetta_it that last Monday an agreement between Remco Evenepoel and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe has been found. The multiple year deal (at least till 2028) starting from 2026, can be considered done @cycling_podcast," read the statement released by Scognamiglio to the social media platform X.
This development follows earlier indications that Evenepoel had reached personal terms with Red Bull, but Scognamiglio's report suggests negotiations have progressed significantly toward a finalised agreement. This also follows Red Bull's manager, Ralph Denk, having downplayed the report on Friday that an agreement had been reached between his team and the Belgian rider.
When contacted for clarification by Daniel Benson, Soudal Quick-Step's CEO, Jurgen Foré maintained that no formal agreement has been finalised, insisting that Evenepoel's situation remains unchanged from recent weeks.
According to Benson, for the move to become official, Evenepoel would need to activate a release clause in his current contract, estimated to be between €5-6 million under Belgian law. Additionally, a three-party UCI agreement involving the rider and both teams would need to be signed, but crucially suggested that the deal "feels more like a 'when' rather than an 'if' at this stage."
The Belgian's transfer also requires a three-party agreement involving the rider, his current team, and his future team, as stipulated by UCI regulations. Despite the complications, sources familiar with the negotiations expect an official announcement in the first week of August.
One of Benson's key sources indicated that there is plenty of substance to the news revealed by Scognamiglio, stating, "Yes, I’m expecting Remco to be at Red Bull next year."
"The team has been chasing him for over a year; there were rumours of him coming last year. The latest rumours have been going on for weeks, that he and Mattia Cattaneo are coming,” the source added.
The transfer remains complex as Evenepoel is currently contracted with Soudal Quick-Step until the end of 2026. According to Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure, all parties — Evenepoel, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and Soudal Quick-Step — have now reached an agreement. The paper reports that Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will pay approximately €2 million to buy out the final year of his existing contract, clearing the way for the move to go ahead.
These reports also indicated that Evenepoel will bring key members of his support team with him, including his mechanic and cousin Dario Kloek, soigneur David Geeroms and assistant director Klaas Lodewyck. Wielerflits has also reported that the transfer could be announced in the first week of August.
Former Soudal Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere previously commented on the persistent interest from BORA, writing in a column: "I genuinely don't know whether he will leave or stay. I only know that BORA manager Ralph Denk has been trying to recruit him for four years now. He made an initial offer that was quite shocking. After that, the pursuit has never stopped."
