Luke Lamperti finds his feet at EF after Quick-Step move

Luke Lamperti knew changing teams was a risk. After time at Soudal Quick-Step, a squad with a history of winning, the American sprinter had to trust that EF Education-EasyPost would be the right fit. So far, that trust has been rewarded.

"Obviously it's hard to change teams, you don't know what it's like in another team and I really like Quick-Step, it was a good environment as well," Lamperti told Domestique after the Tour Down Under. 

"Coming here I know a lot of the guys and I've always heard good things about the team so I think it's been super nice and they've really backed me with a lot of opportunities so I think that was a lot of the reason behind the change."

Lamperti praised both the staff and riders at EF, calling his first week of racing with the team at the Tour Down Under smooth and encouraging. "All the staff have been great, all the riders have been great and my first week at the races here with the team has also been super nice."

Soudal Quick-Step have undergone major change in recent months, most notably with Remco Evenepoel leaving for Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe. The shift points toward a stronger Classics focus from 2026, reinforced by a wave of new signings better suited to the cobbles. Lamperti, however, stressed that his decision to move had been made before the Belgian team’s restructuring began.

“I was actually committed before all that happened, so it didn’t really affect me much. Obviously the team is changing quite a bit, but there’s still a great programme and they’ll still win a lot of races, I’m sure,” he said. “For me it didn’t really play a big part in the move, but yeah, I was set to leave.”

At the Tour Down Under, Lamperti has been used in a genuinely mixed role: helping support Harry Sweeny’s strong GC ride while still chasing his own chances in the sprints, with a 10th place on stage 1 his best finish so far. It has been a learning week, but one he has embraced.

“Sweeny has done well for the GC and I’ve been able to help with positioning and that sort of stuff,” Lamperti said. “Then I take opportunities when I can in the sprints, even the harder ones. I haven’t had the best legs here, but we’ve been getting involved, working on the lead out, and getting used to riding with the guys.”

The American saw the week as useful groundwork for what comes next. “It’s been nice to get stuck in and get used to racing with everyone,” he said. “Overall it’s gone well for us as a team, so it sets us up nicely for the next races and the rest of the season.”