It has been all however official for a while now, however Soudal-QuickStep and Remco Evenepoel have confirmed they’ll goal the Tour de France in 2024, with the Belgian group persevering with their evolution to again Evenepoel’s Grand Tour ambitions.
The group nonetheless has a powerful Classics squad and a Flemish coronary heart however has greater targets for July, with Evenepoel additionally concentrating on gold medals within the highway race and time trial on the Paris Olympic Video games. He’ll then take goal at one other rainbow jersey on the UCI Highway World Championships in Zürich in September.
Soudal-QuickStep CEO Patrick Lefevere celebrated the 55 victories of 2023 and hopes for extra in 2024 throughout the group presentation within the Suitopía Sol y Mar Suites Resort in Calpe.
“This may not be one of the simplest ways to say it, however profitable is the perfect doping. It is good for the thoughts and all the things,” Lefevere stated.
“I hope we win early and all season in 2024. Final yr we gained all season but in addition had just a few disappointments, for instance within the Giro d’Italia. COVID-19 was our enemy there. We have been within the lead, and we might have gained.
“It’s a must to invent your self each few years, in any other case different groups move you. We have invested in riders and employees. We have now younger folks, new concepts, younger methods. There was a have to renew issues.”
Lefevere and Soudal-QuickStep endured a troublesome 2023 season after Evenepoel’s father urged his son was not comfortable and needed to maneuver to a stronger Grand Tour group, with Ineos Grenadiers a attainable vacation spot.
Autumn’s merger/takeover saga with Jumbo-Visma destabilised the group till Richard Plugge backed out of his hostile takeover, with Evenepoel confirming he would respect his contract and keep put.
“It was painful for a interval,” Lefevere admitted. “This group has existed for over 20 years. We did not wish to disappear, but it surely all occurred above us.
“You are silly in the event you make the identical errors. For those who’re clever, you flip the web page. We cannot neglect what occurred, however at this time is a brand new day. As I prefer to say, ‘In the present day is the primary day of the remainder of my life’. I wish to look forward and win once more with these guys.”
The 2024 Soudal-QuickStep riders talked about their hopes and targets on stage alongside Lefevere throughout the group presentation. Evenepoel was the final on stage, standing with a few of his key teammates, although he was clear chief of the group with the largest targets.
“My season is in operate of the nation of France,” Evenepoel joked. “I begin in Portugal, then Paris-Good, then the Ardennes, then the Dauphiné, the Tour de France and the Olympic Video games.
“Then I’m going on vacation for half a yr. I am wanting ahead to month of August.”
Evenepoel led out the morning espresso experience, his face wrapped up in opposition to the chilly air that has descended on Calpe a lot to the chagrin of the scrum of photographers and tv cameras who have been making an attempt to catch his each transfer.
He set a brand new Strava report on the close by Coll de Charges climb on Monday, the native climb used as benchmark for the numerous groups that flock to Calpe and the encompassing space for low season coaching camps. Evenepoel has spent a lot of the winter at his dwelling close to Calpe and appeared prepared for the 2024 season.
Evenepoel confirmed he’ll make his 2024 season debut on the Volta a Algarve (February 14-18), the place he’ll face Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek), amongst plenty of different main rivals.
Soudal-QuickStep are nonetheless creating their Tour de France squad to assist Evenepoel tackle Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič, however Lefevere is upbeat about his chief’s possibilities.
“If all the things goes clean, I am satisfied he can go on the rostrum,” Lefevere stated. “Figuring out his character, he is not going to be pleased with a podium, he’ll wish to win the time trial within the Tour de France and a few phases.
“He has nothing to show. It is higher to be an outsider than the favorite, so let’s be the outsider. It is at all times good when the outsider wins.”
Basque climber Mikel Landa is the group’s largest signing for 2024 and Soudal-QuickStep hope he will be Evenepoel’s skilled final man within the excessive mountains this July. He’ll be amongst 10 new faces on the squad with Gianni Moscon and gifted younger American sprinter and Classics rider Luke Lamperti additionally becoming a member of together with a swathe of promising neo-pros.
“I did numerous Grand Excursions, with huge leaders and we gained a few of them,” Landa identified. “I would like to assist Remco win some Grand Excursions and when I’ve the chance, do nicely too. I would love to do nicely on the Vuelta.”
Lefevere turned 69 on January 6 and begins 2024 as group supervisor however with assist from new COO and Lefevere’s potential successor, Jurgen Foré.
Foré was in Calpe for the presentation and can formally begin engaged on February 1. He has quietly hung out speaking to riders and employees as he prepares for a completely operative and essential position on the group. He spoke concerning the long-term way forward for the group and the game as an entire, referencing the continued reform venture, One Biking.
“I already really feel a part of the group,” he stated, revealing the methods he learnt as a accomplice at Deloitte, with a sequence of slides. “We have now to be the ‘greatest model of ourselves.
“I’ll ask questions and problem, we wish to enhance, adapt and optimise. We wish to protect the Wolfpack tradition. We have now to think about our behaviour in direction of one another and make sure the group targets align with private targets.
“In the long run, we have now secured our long-term technique and monetary future. We have now to work on the revenue mannequin of professional biking. Some evolutions are occurring, together with the One Biking venture. We wish to lead the pack there.”
