He’s become Olympic and World Champion in both time-trial and road races in separate years, but with the team jersey he has won monuments, stage-races and stages in all Grand Tours. At only 25 years of age he has also already had to overcome two massive career-changing injuries and has experienced withdrawals from Grand Tours due to illnesses whilst aiming for top results.
Evenepoel is one of the single most important riders in the current peloton but held a contract until 2026. For that reason, many dismissed the possibility of him leaving the team. In recent years contract breaking have become more frequent however, with BORA also signing Primoz Roglic in the same way; whilst Cian Uijtdebroeks left the BORA team towards Visma.
This opened up the window of possibility for Evenepoel. INEOS Grenadiers and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe were long reported to make bids for the Belgian, but now the German team has succeeded. According to a report from La Dernière Heure a few weeks back, Evenepoel will be joined by DS Klaas Lodewyck as well as a mechanic and soigneur from the Quick-Step team.
This will come as an addition to high right-hand man Mattia Cattaneo and also Sven Vanthourenhout to the team management, the man who guided Evenepoel towards all his successes with the Belgian national jersey in recent years. With the departure of Rolf Aldag and Enrico Gasparotto, key management staff at BORA literally in the days following the Tour, it was obvious that this signing would be a matter of time.
Soudal – Quick-Step have now issued a press release, confirming what very few would’ve possibly doubted at this point in time: “Representatives of Remco informed the team’s management that he did not wish to discuss an extension of his current agreement, which expires at the end of 2026. After taking some time to consult with our sponsors and partners, the team’s ownership and management have decided that it is in best interest of everyone to agree that Remco can move at the end of the current 2025 season”.
“Since its inception in 2003, our team has seen many iterations and changes, while continuing to develop into one of the most successful teams in the history of professional cycling and recently became the first professional cycling team to reach 1000 UCI wins. While we regret Remco’s decision to leave, we will foster the memories that we have made and will continue to strive together to achieve some significant results for the rest of the season”.
This had already become clear with the signings of Jasper Stuyven and Edward Planckaert, but the team will now begin refocusing on it’s classics riders. “We strongly believe in the team spirit that earned us the title of the Wolfpack and we will continue to strive to be a collective that is stronger than any one individual. We would like to place on record our thanks to our sponsors and partners that have supported us throughout this process and will continue to do so in the future”.