Soudal Quick-Step confirms core of 2026 Tour de France squad

Twelve months ago, the Belgian team’s Tour strategy centred on Remco Evenepoel’s GC ambitions and Tim Merlier’s sprint prospects. 

While Evenepoel’s overall challenge eventually faded, the team still secured four stage victories: one from Evenepoel, two from Merlier in the sprints, and a dramatic breakaway win by Valentin Paret-Peintre atop Mont Ventoux.

With Evenepoel now riding for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, Soudal Quick-Step's Tour line-up for this year naturally takes on a different shape for the 2026 edition.

After a successful Giro d’Italia, which saw Paul Magnier claim a hat-trick of stage wins and the points classification, the Belgian team will be looking to carry the momentum and seize their opportunity in the sprints at the Tour with Merlier. 

The former European Champion who has three career Tour stages to his name and has cemented himself as one of the very best in the business. 

However, Merlier will arrive at the Grand Départ in Barcelona on July 4 with fewer race days than usual due to a knee injury. 

He opened his season in late March at the GP Jean-Pierre Monseré, but quickly found his form to win a third consecutive Scheldeprijs, followed by victories at the Ronde van Limburg and two stages of the Tour de Hongrie.

Speaking to Wielerflits, Foré reflected on Merlier’s current condition heading into La Grande Boucle.

“Tim has had a nasty injury that dragged on for a long time. The danger then is that under pressure, you want to push too hard too quickly to make a comeback. I have to congratulate our medical and performance staff on how they handled that. … Nothing was rushed,” said Foré. 

Foré also noted that Magnier's breakthrough Giro success helped take the immediate spotlight off Merlier. 

"It certainly helped that we had someone like Paul [Magnier] who was successful in the Giro, allowing Tim to build up gradually. Tim has already won a lot this year in the races he started,” explained Foré. 

“But we are now working towards the Tour with a lot of confidence, and I am confident that he will be at his very best level there.”

Beyond Merlier, Foré indicated some of the riders expected to be in the fold in July. Among those is Mikel Landa, who was ruled out of the Giro due to a small pelvic fracture he suffered in a crash at Itzulia Basque Country. 

In his first Tour in Quick-Step colours in 2024, Landa supported Evenepoel to a podium finish, while finishing fifth overall himself.

“Mikel Landa has had all the bad luck in the world since last year’s Giro d’Italia. He had just become pain-free again, but then he was hit by a car during the Tour of the Basque Country. He has had to recover, but is now training at altitude with the team again,” said Foré. 

Meanwhile, Paret-Peintre is in full preparation for the Tour after experiencing the high of winning atop Mont Ventoux last summer. In his preparations to date, the French climber finished twelfth at Paris-Nice and fourth at the Volta a Catalunya.

Ilan Van Wilder has established himself in Quick-Step’s Tour team in recent editions and the Belgian is expected to feature for the third successive edition having overcome illness. 

“Fortunately, Ilan Van Wilder is feeling well again after a persistent infection that, like many infections this season, lingered for a very long time. He has now recovered and is working specifically towards the Tour,” added Foré. 

Louis Vervaeke is also in line to return to the Tour for the second time in his career, and Jasper Stuyven will be a key component of Merlier’s lead-out after being crucial to the success of Magnier in Italy.