Jumbo - QuickStep merger

[CyclistAbi]

Deceuninck??? they already moved on in at the end of 2021

Soudal.

 

[joseph89]

we're going to end up with Soudal-Visma & Quickstep-Alpha-Jumbo at this rate.

Quickstep-safety jogger 🤣

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Quickstep-safety jogger 🤣

That's another point, Aren't gambling companies getting barred from sponsorship soon? I assume Napoleon Casinos have given Patrick a fair few chips to play with.

 

[red_flanders]

Wait, there are Patrick Lefevere fans in the forum now? This is like the Paris bedbug situation all over again

Would be pretty bizarre if there weren't. We're fans of good cycling, right?

The guy is an absolute legend, one of the most successful team managers in history. His teams have done tactical masterclasses over and over again. He's interesting. I can take some provocative statements, many of which have been misunderstood or overblown. Or just taken badly by a generation looking for offense. I'm a fan. Doesn't mean I'm not critical when it applies, or that I like everything he says or does. But he's a legend and a character. His riders by and large love him. That ought to tell you something.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

This merger story is one of the strangest stories in cycling for decades.

There was Leopard-RadioShack, then Tinkoff. Longer ago there was Feretti‘s Sony Ericsson drama. There have always been rumours, OK.

But merger of Jumbo and SQS is like a merger of T-Mobile and US Postal, or similar.

It just doesn’t seem to make sense. I would be curious what the intentions of the players are, here. Possibly paying as little as possible, to win the Tour as safely as possible.

I don‘t trust Lefevere for one centimetre. Every now and then, he pretends to be close to ending his teams - then, the year after, they achieve 60 season victories, just like every year.

Plugge probably is thinking about totally six or eight TdF GC victories for Vingegaard.

I think Evenepoel should join Ineos as soon as possible. He needs clarity soon to prepare for next year’s Tour.

And Roglic to Bora is already the big surprise, IMHO. Completely new staff and domestiques.

What a transfer period, it is. 2024 will be great, I hope everyone everywhere stays on board, to not cause any unemployment.

 

[Berniece]

Probably Its likely to become a nothing role, can't see Plugge wanting any advice from Patrick or anybody for that matter except his legal team.

They've worked together on multiple occasions already for the future of cycling, and have huge respect for each other.

 

[peterfin]

I think Lefevere has a chance to restart the team. Some of the CEO's and owners of the current sponsors are directly involved in the sponsor deal. Many have a passion for the sport. Soudal leaving gives one of them the chance to be a title sponsor too. It's a bigger budget but with less risk as usual because it is for one year. Renson and Ekopak (with Marc Coucke as investor) have indicated in the past that they would like to increase their budget. Meanwhile Quickstep, one of the longest lasting sponsors in the sport, is probably a casualty of the deal with JV due to Amazon joining. They would lose their exposure without a team. So the sponsors of the "leftovers" have reasons to continue too, not just the riders and the staff. Maybe there are new sponsors that jump in knowing that they can test the waters with a deal of only one year? Belgium is a cycling crazy nation. Lefevere may be forced again to give up his pension plan and go on for another decade? There are many here that would love it!

 

[Jagartrott]

we're going to end up with Soudal-Visma & Quickstep-Alpha-Jumbo at this rate.

Or Amazon-Quickstep, because like in any proper thriller, there needs to be a sudden turning of the tables to entertain (and shock) viewers more. (Additional spoiler: they're the ones signing Roglic)

 

[theyoungest]

I think Lefevere has a chance to restart the team. Some of the CEO's and owners of the current sponsors are directly involved in the sponsor deal. Many have a passion for the sport. Soudal leaving gives one of them the chance to be a title sponsor too. It's a bigger budget but with less risk as usual because it is for one year. Renson and Ekopak (with Marc Coucke as investor) have indicated in the past that they would like to increase their budget. Meanwhile Quickstep, one of the longest lasting sponsors in the sport, is probably a casualty of the deal with JV due to Amazon joining. They would lose their exposure without a team. So the sponsors of the "leftovers" have reasons to continue too, not just the riders and the staff. Maybe there are new sponsors that jump in knowing that they can test the waters with a deal of only one year? Belgium is a cycling crazy nation. Lefevere may be forced again to give up his pension plan and go on for another decade? There are many here that would love it!

Lefevere will get to play the hero, but you know who will actually pay more than he will? Zdenek Bakala. It's a great situation for Lefevere, minimum investment, maximum PR. And in two years he'll get to sell the team anyway.

 

[pastronef]

the more I think about it, the more I think Specialized could have a little marginal role into steering things in this or that direction inside this "merger" fuckety fùck.

 

[Lexman]

So With Pat Lefevre building a new team with the remnants Visma just wanted to buy Evenepoel and some riders around him and that's all... and non friendly buy / up out action

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

If the rumours of 6 Soudal-riders joining Visma, you guys think Cerny and Svrcek are among those? As it seems Bakala want this merger and these guys are probably at QS because Bakala wanted some Czech riders?

 

[houtdffan]

But if QS continues, Evenepoel cannot go to Jumbo, as he is under contract through 2026

Jumbo cannot under UCI rules buy Evenepoel

 

[hrotha]

Would be pretty bizarre if there weren't. We're fans of good cycling, right?

The guy is an absolute legend, one of the most successful team managers in history. His teams have done tactical masterclasses over and over again. He's interesting. I can take some provocative statements, many of which have been misunderstood or overblown. Or just taken badly by a generation looking for offense. I'm a fan. Doesn't mean I'm not critical when it applies, or that I like everything he says or does. But he's a legend and a character. His riders by and large love him. That ought to tell you something.

Interesting that "being a character" in this kind of conversation never seems to mean "being a genuinely nice person with an alluring personality". It's always just a more acceptable way to say you like a-holes

Also "a generation looking for offece" lol

 

[Samamba]

Jumbo cannot under UCI rules buy Evenepoel

Ofcourse they can if QS agrees with it, you always can get out of a contract with mutual agreement.

 

[Berniece]

But if QS continues, Evenepoel cannot go to Jumbo, as he is under contract through 2026

Jumbo cannot under UCI rules buy Evenepoel

I think QS stops to exist and we get a new team

 

[CyclistAbi]

If the merger will happen then Remco is free to chose the next employee.

 

[search]

But if QS continues, Evenepoel cannot go to Jumbo, as he is under contract through 2026

it's not that crystal clear, I think. The UCI Model Contract says "The Rider may terminate the present contract [...] if the Team or a principal partner withdraws from the UCI Team and the continuity of the UCI Team is not guaranteed".

It would probably require some legal action, but there could be a time frame in which "principal partner" Soudal has left, and the future of the team isn't guaranteed yet, I guess.

 

[pman]

What do you base that on?

If anything the Vuelta proved he is not ready to go for the Tour win.

He may still, in future, but at this point in time it probably makes sense to remove that particular pressure from his shoulders.

I base this on the fact this whole drama seems to have developed from the fact that Remco seems unsupported by Quickstep. Clearly his team is strong enough to win classics and Giros. The only thing they aren't strong enough to do is win the Tour de France. If Remco was cool with winning lesser Grand Tours and classics, the whole Remco to Ineos talk and the complaints about his support never would have happened.

I know the Jonas VIngegaard Fan Club wants to imagine Remco being thrilled playing second fiddle to Jonas for the next 6 years but I personally don't see that as a likely outcome. If Remco goes to the new super team it isn't to be a supporting actor to anyone.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

The only thing they aren't strong enough to do is win the Tour de France.

To me this say that it’s Remco that isn’t strong enough, especially now when Landa was on the way in.
I’m pretty sure Vingegaard would win the Tour with Landa, Van Wilder, Alaphilippe, Cattaneo, Vervaeke, Asgreen and Lampaert as his team mates.

 

[pman]

To me this say that it’s Remco that isn’t strong enough, especially now when Landa was on the way in.
I’m pretty sure Vingegaard would win the Tour with Landa, Van Wilder, Alaphilippe, Cattaneo, Vervaeke, Asgreen and Lampaert as his team mates.

For sure, Vingegaard in his current form could totally win the Tour with that team. I guess we never know the public and private version of someone. Public Remco seems to want leadership and to go for the biggest races in the world including the Tour. Maybe behind close doors he's a Type B person who is just happy to be part of the team. I doubt it though. I think Remco is very confident in his abilities.

 

[will-10]

This is getting murkier by the day. Really feel for the riders and staff.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I know the Jonas VIngegaard Fan Club wants to imagine Remco being thrilled playing second fiddle to Jonas for the next 6 years

What, all two members?

 

[pman]

What, all two members?

He seems to have a ton of fans. They're everywhere on this place.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

He seems to have a ton of fans. They're everywhere on this place.

Nah, just one extremely vocal one. I hear he's very short and made of broccoli.