Jumbo - QuickStep merger

[joseph89]

I also think remco would of forced his way out his contract leading to the collapse of the team. This merger is a win-win for everyone

Plugge - Sponsorship
Bakala - Equity in new team or cashout
Lefevere - retirement & board seat
Remco - GT support and Knowhow
Soudal - more visibility internationally not just in Belgium

and i think lefevere will do right by his staff and riders. Those who have a contract will be fine

 

[theyoungest]

How would Quickstep have been in danger if this *** hadn't hit the massive fan?
Was the-team-currently-known-as-Jumbo really in danger of folding after this year?

This isn't a case of two teams both being in immediate danger of folding, and at least a merger can salvage something. This is, plain and simple, a team folding!

I think this is two teams folding but finding some kind of solution to at least keep half of their team afloat. There is just no other possible explanation for this than mere survival. Apparently Jumbo are at least in as much trouble as Quickstep is.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

According to the search function on this forum «Bakala» seems to have been mentioned about 15 times in this thread before this afternoon.
Plus plenty of times in the Team thread, the Remco thread, the Alaphilippe thread, the Lefevre thread, the transfer thread and basically every other QS related thread.

 

[RedheadDane]

I also think remco would of forced his way out his contract leading to the collapse of the team. This merger is a win-win for everyone

Plugge - Sponsorship
Bakala - Equity in new team or cashout
Lefevere - retirement & board seat
Remco - GT support and Knowhow
Soudal - more visibility internationally not just in Belgium

and i think lefevere will do right by his staff and riders. Those who have a contract will be fine

Everyone?

 

[samhocking]

And the Quickstep riders thought everything was in order...

This is not a good idea! This can never be a good idea! A team folding is never good!

Cycling teams have always been subject to mergers in order to survive, but I think for Plugge this both a need to survive, but also by merging he gets the only real threat to his >2030 plan with Remco in it rather than against it. He also gets some serious staff firepower for the classics and already has probably the strongest classics rider in the peloton, or at least the most-consistent strongest classics rider. Plugge and Lefevere also seem to get a long. Lefever gets to keep his toes wet working with Soudal-Visma too. It's about business not sport, always is.

 

[joseph89]

Everyone?

Who won't be fine?

Edit.

Everyone that has a valid contract for next year ie riders or staff will be fine. This is a merger not a team folding

 

[Samu Cuenca]

According to the search function on this forum «Bakala» seems to have been mentioned about 15 times in this thread before this afternoon.
Plus plenty of times in the Team thread, the Remco thread, the Alaphilippe thread, the Lefevre thread, the transfer thread and basically every other QS related thread.

But you can't really expect someone like RhD who's hardly ever online nor watch that many races to follow all those threads...

 

[Berniece]

UCI needs to set up some sort of foundation, to at least do something to avoid these sudden late-season foldings!

It should happen during the season? Or when or starts?

This is the best time to do this

 

[RedheadDane]

Who won't be fine?

At least 20 riders for starters...
Combined, there are 50 riders contracted with the two teams for next year.

It should happen during the season? Or when or starts?

This is the best time to do this

Riders should be aware from the beginning of the season that their team is folding at the end of the season.

 

[theyoungest]

One of the sponsors of the Jumbo women's team is Vacansoleil. A familiar name in cycling. Not anymore, because today they've been declared bankrupt. Things are going great for Plugge's finances

 

[joseph89]

At least 20 riders for starters...
Combined, there are 50 riders contracted with the two teams for next year.

They all have valid contracts which means they get paid even if they have to sit on the couch until they find a team or they contract runs out

I doubt it will come to that and they will find a solution. Roglic's contract termination fee would cover a few of those 20 rider salaries

 

[Rackham]

One of the sponsors of the Jumbo women's team is Vacansoleil. A familiar name in cycling. Not anymore, because today they've been declared bankrupt. Things are going great for Plugge's finances

He built the strongest team in the world... & now his financiers are crumbling down around him.

I guess the "everything will be okay, we've got strong foundations" talk was one giant bluff. In the end they've pulled the nuclear option & gone for Soudal.

 

[theyoungest]

He built the strongest team in the world... & now his financiers are crumbling down around him.

I guess the "everything will be okay, we've got strong foundations" talk was one giant bluff. In the end they've pulled the nuclear option & gone for Soudal.

It's always bluff. Plugge is pretty good at that. But I didn't know it was this bad, and I doubt he did. He finds himself scrambling to even have a team for next year, I don't think he expected that a few months ago.

 

[ManicJack]

Riders should be aware from the beginning of the season that their team is folding at the end of the season.

That would require all team ownership to negotiate sponsorship change 2 calendar years out. No potential sponsor would be interested in putting ink to paper in that scenario.

 

[theyoungest]

Riders should be aware from the beginning of the season that their team is folding at the end of the season.

There are multiple reasons why that would not be a fruitful approach. For one, it would kill all sense of team spirit, it's everyone for themselves trying to get a contract for next year.

 

[Berflamand]

Lampaert: "I have send a text to Wout because during the WC we shared a room for a week. I knew he had a good time but for him to get Plugge to take over our whole team now is quite a drastic move. "

Serry: "Yes, it's true I signed for Jumbo. I get to stand at cashier 13 in the local Jumbo."

At least (some of) the riders can still joke about it.

 

[joseph89]

" Jumbo-Visma remains the paying agent of the team. On the one hand, this would mean that Jumbo-Visma would have to respect all Soudal-Quick-Step contracts , but on the other hand, the riders and staff would in turn have the choice to leave."

"It appears that Jumbo-Visma has redistributed the sponsorship budget for 2024. While the supermarket chain would initially guarantee next season, Jumbo will now remain on board as a founding partner until the end of 2026 . It appears that the sponsorship amount for 2024 has now been spread over three years, causing an acute shortage for next season and which explains the haste behind the merger."

'Concurrentie mogelijk grote winnaar fusieploeg Jumbo-Visma/Lefevere'

Podcast Het nieuws van de ophanden zijnde fusie tussen Jumbo-Visma en Soudal Quick-Step is ingeslagen als een bom. Sinds WielerFlits deze scoop afgelopen zondag heeft gepubliceerd is er veel gebeurd. Waarom willen de ploegen fuseren? Welke renners kunnen blijven? Wat weten we over het budget? In...

www.wielerflits.nl

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Jumbo will now remain on board as a founding partner until the end of 2026 .

'Concurrentie mogelijk grote winnaar fusieploeg Jumbo-Visma/Lefevere'

Podcast Het nieuws van de ophanden zijnde fusie tussen Jumbo-Visma en Soudal Quick-Step is ingeslagen als een bom. Sinds WielerFlits deze scoop afgelopen zondag heeft gepubliceerd is er veel gebeurd. Waarom willen de ploegen fuseren? Welke renners kunnen blijven? Wat weten we over het budget? In...

www.wielerflits.nl

I'm not sure that they can declare themselves in 2023 to be a founding partner of something that was set up in 1984.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Didn't know that about Vacansoleil. RIP, loved Poels cooking in the jersey on the Angliru with Cobo, Froome and the rest and Ricco's last act going nuts at loads of random Italian races.

 

[theyoungest]

" Jumbo-Visma remains the paying agent of the team. On the one hand, this would mean that Jumbo-Visma would have to respect all Soudal-Quick-Step contracts , but on the other hand, the riders and staff would in turn have the choice to leave."

"It appears that Jumbo-Visma has redistributed the sponsorship budget for 2024. While the supermarket chain would initially guarantee next season, Jumbo will now remain on board as a founding partner until the end of 2026 . It appears that the sponsorship amount for 2024 has now been spread over three years, causing an acute shortage for next season and which explains the haste behind the merger."

'Concurrentie mogelijk grote winnaar fusieploeg Jumbo-Visma/Lefevere'

Podcast Het nieuws van de ophanden zijnde fusie tussen Jumbo-Visma en Soudal Quick-Step is ingeslagen als een bom. Sinds WielerFlits deze scoop afgelopen zondag heeft gepubliceerd is er veel gebeurd. Waarom willen de ploegen fuseren? Welke renners kunnen blijven? Wat weten we over het budget? In...

www.wielerflits.nl

Yeah, this is another interesting conclusion by Kerckhoffs. Jumbo indicate they will stay on as founding partner of both the cycling team and the speedskating team, i.e. they won't end sponsorship altogether, and somehow he thinks that implies that they have spread the budget for next year over three years. That could be the case, of course, but it doesn't automatically follow from what Jumbo have said.

Didn't know that about Vacansoleil. RIP, loved Poels cooking in the jersey on the Angliru with Cobo, Froome and the rest and Ricco's last act going nuts at loads of random Italian races.

That team has folded long ago though. Their last sponsor was Roompot. Vacansoleil returned to the sport a few years ago.

 

[AmRacer]

Yeah, this is another interesting conclusion by Kerckhoffs. Jumbo indicate they will stay on as founding partner of both the cycling team and the speedskating team, i.e. they won't end sponsorship altogether, and somehow he thinks that implies that they have spread the budget for next year over three years. That could be the case, of course, but it doesn't automatically follow from what Jumbo have said.


That team has folded long ago though. Their last sponsor was Roompot. Vacansoleil returned to the sport a few years ago.

Jumbo will stay as sponsor until end of next year. They can drop out earlier if a replacement sponsor is found.

 

[theyoungest]

Jumbo will stay as sponsor until end of next year. They can drop out earlier if a replacement sponsor is found.

That's not what Kerckhoffs is saying though.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Remco - GT support and Knowhow

Not according to the Jonas contract clause.

 

[samhocking]

Yep, the 2024 Jumbo (and assume everyone they brought to the team ) money is spread over 3 years so it's 1/3 of what they currently get for 2024, although with Gorillas reported 5m shortfall, it's probably already essentially 10M less for 2024 if Plugge kept the team running and without finding another sponsor.

 

[joseph89]

Here's an interesting article on the current state of affairs re Rog's transfer & the situation at Jumbo: https://escapecollective.com/report...-buyout-clause-and-the-jumbo-merger-dominoes/

Jumbo want 5 million euros compensation. He has a 2 million euro salary. Jumbo has a 25 million (!) black hole in their finances.

It's all a bit desperate tbh & I think with a little bit of hindsight, someone should ask what in the name of hell Plugge was doing at Jumbo with their money in recent years, i.e. for example bringing in some high earners (van Baarle, Dennis, Benoot) last year. Bringing in Jorgensen for next year & also re-signing Vingegaard on a long term deal when none of this was future proof.

It's an incredible story & the consequences are going to be huge (like the total annihilation of Quick-Step, for starters). And of course Rog leaving his own team for a few reasons, i.e. one of which is because they're broke.

WT-FUDGE