Remco Evenepoel’s past month has been anything but quiet.
From winning stage 5 of the 2025 Tour de France to abandoning the race in its
second week, and then announcing a blockbuster move to Red Bull – BORA –
hansgrohe for 2026, the Belgian star has dominated cycling headlines. His
departure from Soudal – Quick-Step marks the most significant transfer of the
season, a switch that not only shifts the balance of power in the peloton but
has also drawn congratulations from some of Belgium’s most popular sporting
figures.

One of the most notable messages came from footballer Romelu
Lukaku, who shares the same agency as Evenepoel. The two spoke on the phone
shortly after the cyclist’s move was finalized, and the Napoli striker made his
approval clear. “Time for something new,” Lukaku told him. “Red Bull is great,
right? Red Bull is really, really great, man.”

The move gives Evenepoel what Quick-Step could not: a fully
committed Grand Tour squad built to challenge the dominance of Tadej Pogacar’s
UAE Team Emirates and Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma powerhouse. At Red Bull – BORA –
hansgrohe, he is set to have both Florian Lipowitz, third at this year’s Tour,
and veteran Primoz Roglic as teammates. That level of climbing support is
something Evenepoel never enjoyed at Quick-Step, where the team’s budget and
roster depth left him fighting without the numbers in the mountains.

Cycling commentator José De Cauwer was quick to underline
the importance of Evenepoel’s ambitions. He believes the 25-year-old time trial
specialist should still focus on the ultimate prize: the Tour de France. Lukaku
echoed that sentiment with a smile. “Next year in the Tour… Yeah, man!”

Evenepoel responded with, “I’m going to do my best”. Lukaku
closed their conversation with one final message of encouragement: “It’s the
right move at the right time.”

For Evenepoel, the transfer represents both a fresh
challenge and the next logical step in a career that has already brought a
Vuelta a España title, multiple world championships, and double Olympic gold.
For Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, it is the clearest signal yet of their intent
to become a dominant force in Grand Tour racing.

The months ahead will still see Evenepoel race in Soudal –
Quick-Step colours, with a final block of late-season targets before he closes
that chapter at Il Lombardia. But his sights, and those of his new teammates,
are already set firmly on July 2026, when he will line up at the Tour with a
team capable of taking the fight to cycling’s two biggest names.