'We owe a lot to Remco' - Lampaert guides Soudal-QuickStep's new era

In an interview with Het Nieuwsblad, Yves Lampaert (Soudal-QuickStep) discussed the departure of Remco Evenepoel to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe for the 2026 season and expressed his optimism for the Belgian team's future and for a new role within the team guiding the younger riders as one of the longest-serving and experienced riders in the squad.

Lampaert also revealed that Remco Evenepoel’s Soudal-QuickStep teammates were informed of his decision to join Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe only one hour before the public announcement.

“We had a meeting an hour before the press release was released. You hear most of it through the media or on Radio Peloton. You don't know how much of it is true; the rumours have been circulating for years, but I'm not shocked anymore," Lampaert said to Het Nieuwsblad.

"Understand is a strong word, because we don't really know what was wrong with Remco. It all happened a bit above our heads. But anyway, he made the choice. As a team, we owe a lot to Remco, and vice versa, so I hope we can part as friends," said Lampaert in a respectful manner when asked if he understood the decision made by Evenepoel whom he has shared 95 race days together as teammates.

Lampaert has been with the Soudal-QuickStep team since 2015, when he was picked up by the then Etixx-QuickStep squad, having emerged as a top Belgian talent at Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, where he had shown glimpses of his potential. 

Some standout results in 2014 included finishing 4th at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, 5th at the Belgian national road race championships, as well as strong showings at the Tour de Wallonie, Eneco Tour, and his first professional victory at the Arnhem Veenedaal Classic.

With 16 professional wins under his belt, Lampaert boasts an impressive collection with two consecutive Dwars door Vlaanderen successes in 2017 and 2018, multiple Belgian championship wins, and is a two-time grand tour stage winner, including the opening time trial of the 2022 Tour de France, which saw him earn the yellow jersey.

The 34-year-old Belgian is far from finished, with a contract running through until the end of the 2027 season, meaning that Lampaert is set to serve at least 13 years with the Belgian team, something which only Tom Boonen, Iljo Keisse and Pieter Serry have achieved, and this was something that the Belgian rider reflected on. 

“I realise I’m one of the chosen ones. If you had told me that when I started with the team, I would never have believed it. This is phenomenal, I can be truly proud of it,” said Lampaert. 

Looking ahead, Lampaert believes Evenepoel’s departure could create new opportunities for other riders within the Belgian squad when he was asked if the team could take positives from the situation, and he wants to play a key role in the development of some of the younger members of the team using his experience and wisdom.

“For the management, yes. They can move on now, and it's also clear to the sponsors now,” Lampaert said. “We, the riders, will certainly miss him. He delivered many prizes and therefore took the pressure off the rest. On the other hand, and I'll say it in Tom Boonen's words: if you cut down a large tree, the small trees underneath grow much faster...”

"I want to take the young guys under my wing and pass on my experience. I think that will need some time to grow. I also do not want to come across as someone who keeps harping on," said Lampaert. 

Away from the departure of Evenepoel, Soudal-QuickStep will be looking positively towards the acquisition of two former monument winners in Jasper Stuyven and Dylan van Baarle, who will link up with the team for 2026 and bolster their classics department, as well as the arrival of the dependable Edward Planckaert, a low-key but important cog of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team since 2021.

“We're hopeful. The last two years, that failed due to various circumstances, but now we're back with some real top riders: Magnier, Stuyven, Merlier for Gent-Wevelgem… We should really bring them back into the picture,” Lampaert said.