{"id":472811,"date":"2026-02-11T12:26:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T12:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/472811\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T12:26:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T12:26:09","slug":"you-cant-replace-remco-but-were-not-collapsing-like-a-pudding-why-soudal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/472811\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cYou can\u2019t replace Remco \u2013 but we\u2019re not collapsing like a pudding\u201d: Why Soudal"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

That blunt dismissal is more than rhetoric. It frames how Quick-Step have chosen to interpret this moment not as an ending, but as a release from dependence.<\/p>\n

Evenepoel leaves as the sport raises the bar<\/p>\n

Peeters\u2019 respect for Evenepoel remains absolute. \u201cRemco is currently the strongest rider in the peloton,\u201d he says, before sharpening the context. \u201cFor Remco, the challenge is to win against Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.\u201d<\/p>\n

That distinction matters. In an era defined by Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, dominance is no longer measured by collecting wins, but by beating specific rivals. Evenepoel\u2019s move to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe<\/a> reflects that reality. He leaves Brussels for a project designed to give him the mountain depth and Grand Tour infrastructure needed to fight at that level.<\/p>\n

Early signs in 2026 underline why Red Bull invested so heavily. Evenepoel has already been winning, immediately justifying the faith placed in him. From the outside, that only amplifies the sense of loss for his former team.<\/p>\n

Inside Quick-Step, the interpretation is different.<\/p>\n

Pressure did not disappear, it redistributed<\/p>\n

One of the loudest criticisms following Evenepoel\u2019s exit was that he had absorbed pressure for others. Peeters rejects the idea outright. \u201cWhat is pressure, really?\u201d he asks. \u201cIf a rider does not deliver uphill after we have ridden all day for him, that is not good either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pressure, in this reading, is structural. It does not vanish with a superstar. It simply shifts. When Evenepoel was present, responsibility was concentrated. Without him, it spreads across the roster.<\/p>\n

That redistribution is not accidental. It is strategic. \u201cWith him in the team, those young guys would never have had those chances,\u201d Peeters says. \u201cThat is the big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opportunity through absence<\/p>\n

Those words reveal the real pivot. Quick-Step are not attempting to recreate an Evenepoel-shaped project. They are deliberately moving away from one.<\/p>\n

Early races of 2026 have already reflected that shift. Young riders have been visible, active, and trusted with leadership roles that would not have existed previously. The emphasis has moved back toward a collective model that once defined the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe strength of the team was always the team spirit, and that many riders could win,\u201d Peeters explains. \u201cWe have seen in the first weeks of the season that the atmosphere is there and that everyone is hungry for victories.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is a familiar identity, but one that had been partially suppressed by the demands of supporting an elite stage race leader.<\/p>\n

Resetting expectations around the next generationThat recalibration is clearest in how Quick-Step are handling Paul Magnier<\/a>. Internally rated extremely highly, Magnier is being protected from the temptation of instant coronation. \u201cDo not expect him to win the Tour of Flanders right away,\u201d Peeters cautions.<\/p>\n

In a market addicted to hype, expectation management becomes a form of strategy. Magnier is being developed, not marketed as a saviour. Alongside experienced winners like Jasper Stuyven and Dylan van Baarle, the focus is on growth, positioning, and timing rather than shortcuts.<\/p>\n

Post dependence, not post Remco<\/p>\n

Quick-Step\u2019s 2026 season is not about denial. Peeters is explicit that Evenepoel was \u201cperhaps the best rider we have ever had.\u201d It is about refusing to let excellence become a single point of failure.<\/p>\n

The sponsor backing remains strong. Contracts have been extended. The sporting structure has been loosened rather than hollowed out. The team no longer bends around one rider\u2019s calendar, training camps, or objectives.<\/p>\n

That freedom changes everything. Pressure spreads. Opportunity multiplies. Identity reasserts itself.<\/p>\n

Evenepoel will chase Pogacar and Vingegaard in Red Bull colours. Quick-Step will chase something else entirely: relevance through numbers, not reliance.<\/p>\n

In Peeters\u2019 eyes, that is not a step back. It is a return to what they were always best at.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" That blunt dismissal is more than rhetoric. It frames how Quick-Step have chosen to interpret this moment…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472812,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,214320,39733,8396,17833,85,241167],"class_list":{"0":"post-472811","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-cycling","11":"tag-paul-magnier","12":"tag-red-bull-bora-hansgrohe","13":"tag-remco-evenepoel","14":"tag-soudal-quick-step","15":"tag-sports","16":"tag-wilfried-peeters"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472811"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472811\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}