Soudal - Quick Step Thread

[Scarponi]

Who is worse now?Quickstep in the classics or Sky in the GTs lol

 

[Mayomaniac]

Any words from Lefevre?

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Another absolutely disastrous day for them. Sure, bad luck in the crashes but their cobbled riders have not delivered all spring. And I don't see how they can get one of the current top 5 favorites for these races anyway. So unless they stumble on to another Tom Boonen somewhere in the u23 ranks it doesn't look too good for the foreseeable future. Might as well save some money and put it into the aspirations of Evenepoel and get him better support instead of acquiring 3rd string cobble riders. Let's face it, Asgreen and Lampaert will rarely challenge for victory against the current opponents.

But then again, we're talking about Quickstep here. A team that for the longest time was classics only. So this upcoming transfer season is gonna be very telling. Will they accept that for now the (top) results in those races might not be achievable? Or will they try to somehow force a semi competitive team that can get top 10 finishes in these races if everything goes to plan?

In my opinion a generational talent like Evenepoel doesn't come along all that often, so he should be their absolute priority. If you can't fight for the win anymore in the cobbled races, put your efforts in those areas where you have actual chances! But that's easy to say as an outsider that a Belgian team build on their historic classics achievements should just abandon their efforts for those races...

I just can't see how you financially justify putting a good chunk of your resources into races where you are highly unlikely to succeed. What's the point, other than "history"? At the same time it would almost be malpractice to not do everything you can to help your current best rider.

Remco to Ronde 2024?

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Any words from Lefevre?

Sure, but they can't be printed because there are children present.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Was Quick Step invited to race today?

 

[Rackham]

Another absolutely disastrous day for them. Sure, bad luck in the crashes but their cobbled riders have not delivered all spring. And I don't see how they can get one of the current top 5 favorites for these races anyway. So unless they stumble on to another Tom Boonen somewhere in the u23 ranks it doesn't look too good for the foreseeable future. Might as well save some money and put it into the aspirations of Evenepoel and get him better support instead of acquiring 3rd string cobble riders. Let's face it, Asgreen and Lampaert will rarely challenge for victory against the current opponents.

But then again, we're talking about Quickstep here. A team that for the longest time was classics only. So this upcoming transfer season is gonna be very telling. Will they accept that for now the (top) results in those races might not be achievable? Or will they try to somehow force a semi competitive team that can get top 10 finishes in these races if everything goes to plan?

In my opinion a generational talent like Evenepoel doesn't come along all that often, so he should be their absolute priority. If you can't fight for the win anymore in the cobbled races, put your efforts in those areas where you have actual chances! But that's easy to say as an outsider that a Belgian team build on their historic classics achievements should just abandon their efforts for those races...

I just can't see how you financially justify putting a good chunk of your resources into races where you are highly unlikely to succeed. What's the point, other than "history"? At the same time it would almost be malpractice to not do everything you can to help your current best rider.

The 'problem' with throwing all their eggs in the Evenepoel basket is the fact he's just one rider & his rivals in the Tour (which we can assume he'll aim for next year) are Vingegaard & Pogacar, aka two watts monsters who might as well be late game bosses in a Dark Souls video game. Yeah Evenepoel is a generational talent who should for all intents & purposes win the Tour de France based on his numbers & trajectory, but... Vingegaard & Pogacar will be there. Quick-Step are going to need Prudhomme & the 2024 TdF route designers to put quite a bit of flat ITT in their race.

So despite making all the sense in the world (aka backing Evenepoel because of what he offers) he's still not a guarantee to win the biggest race of the year. It's crazy but it is what it is.

 

[Monte Serra]

Movistar earned more UCI points during the cobbled classics than Quickstep, that has to be a first.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1645133590009729025

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/eltiodeldato/status/1645133590009729025

 

[Samamba]

I don't get how Lampaert was able to fool Lefevere into giving him another expensive 3y contract.

I thought PatLef was the guy who always knew to now overpay riders but looks like their whole classics roster is being overpaid.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Hmm… Wilfried Peters, former star rider, is their DS in the Flandrien and cobbled classics, and has been for nearly 20 years.

Wilfried seems to become a little bit chubbier, however. So my suspicion: does Wilfried in the DS car from time to time eat from the energy bars and gels which are for the riders, actually? This could be the only explanation:

The riders lack energy and show weak results, and Wilfried becomes a little bit chubbier. So this could make sense.

Well, and Lefevere… Alpecin (Mathieu), Jumbo (Wout) are quite far away - but also Lotto (Florian Vermeersch) and Intermarche (strong Laurenz Rex) are better now than Soudal-QS. Degenkolb today showed Lefevere what is still possible for the old, experienced guys. And Senechal beat Walscheid few years ago, with fists, in Münsterland - and today got dropped by Walscheid clearly.

 

[Izzyeviel]

They're all top riders, but everytime something happens, they're nowhere to be seen. They always seem to be missing from the front at the crucial moments of the race. It's like they're suffering from badpositioningitus. Feels like the game has changed, but they're still playing the old one.

 

[tobydawq]

They're all top riders, but everytime something happens, they're nowhere to be seen. They always seem to be missing from the front at the crucial moments of the race. It's like they're suffering from badpositioningitus. Feels like the game has changed, but they're still playing the old one.

 

[Monte Serra]

They're all top riders,....

Are they though? Sénéchal and Ballerini are upper middle class at best. Lampaert is difficult to rate, but I wouldn't put him at top level either. Merlier is a great rider, but doesn't have the engine for Flanders or Roubaix. Of today's lineup, I would have expected only Asgreen to compete for the top 5 in this field.

 

[Monte Serra]

It wasn't the worst Roubaix ever for Lefevere though. In 2011 Sylvain Chavanel came in at 38, and was the team's best placed rider.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Are they though? Sénéchal and Ballerini are upper middle class at best. Lampaert is difficult to rate, but I wouldn't put him at top level either. Merlier is a great rider, but doesn't have the engine for Flanders or Roubaix. Of today's lineup, I would have expected only Asgreen to compete for the top 5 in this field.

Exactly. They are all quite mediocre, apart from Asgreen when hes actually on form. Don't even get me started on Lampaert, the guy fluked a yellow jersey, he can't climb to save his life and is therefore only left with Roubaix where he can actually fend for himself. Sure he can probably fluke a Dwaars on the watered down course or a Kuurne if hes real lucky at this point, but he's simly not good enough for the harder flemish classics and he can top-10 Roubaix with good legs and without bad luck. Congrats!

Just focus on Remco, this bunch is a lost cause at the minute. If they can get Asgreen right they might have something to say again, but thats a bit if and the rest of their riders arent even in the same strathosphere as the best cobbled classics riders and they wont be next year either.

 

[Izzyeviel]

Are they though? Sénéchal and Ballerini are upper middle class at best. Lampaert is difficult to rate, but I wouldn't put him at top level either. Merlier is a great rider, but doesn't have the engine for Flanders or Roubaix. Of today's lineup, I would have expected only Asgreen to compete for the top 5 in this field.

They're not on the level of Wout Van Der Poel, but they're just as good as the other five in the lead group. They have the legs to get a top ten at least, but whenever theres a decisive moment, they're in the wrong place.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Sell Remco for a lot of money, then build a new classics squad. Remco will soon get cheesed off if he ends up being their only rider they can rely on throughout the season. Rem will win more GT's in a GT squad. The way it's going, PL will not be eating in decent restaurants any time soon, but McDonalds.

 

[Riek s]

The 'problem' with throwing all their eggs in the Evenepoel basket is the fact he's just one rider & his rivals in the Tour (which we can assume he'll aim for next year) are Vingegaard & Pogacar, aka two watts monsters who might as well be late game bosses in a Dark Souls video game. Yeah Evenepoel is a generational talent who should for all intents & purposes win the Tour de France based on his numbers & trajectory, but... Vingegaard & Pogacar will be there. Quick-Step are going to need Prudhomme & the 2024 TdF route designers to put quite a bit of flat ITT in their race.

So despite making all the sense in the world (aka backing Evenepoel because of what he offers) he's still not a guarantee to win the biggest race of the year. It's crazy but it is what it is.

Think that is a bit harsh no?

Every race Remco participates he is one of the favorites. Even if he only would have 10% chance of winning the Tour... that is still the tour, with a potential podium spot!.
Its not like Boonen/Musseeuw/Betinni/.. were a sure win in the classics. (heck they lost more than they won as well).
Having a candidate winner of almost any GT of choice or any classic of choice (bar PR), is something to invest in. Just like UAE is also a one man team + Soler. (even though they have other major talents..)

 

[Rackham]

Think that is a bit harsh no?

Every race Remco participates he is one of the favorites. Even if he only would have 10% chance of winning the Tour... that is still the tour, with a potential podium spot!.
Its not like Boonen/Musseeuw/Betinni/.. were a sure win in the classics. (heck they lost more than they won as well).
Having a candidate winner of almost any GT of choice or any classic of choice (bar PR), is something to invest in. Just like UAE is also a one man team + Soler. (even though they have other major talents..)

I'm not judging it, I'm just saying it the way it is (in response to a comment saying Quick-Step should logically forget the classics side of the team & focus 100% on Evenepoel). In a sense we can assume they already have, i.e. considering the way this season has unfolded so far. Clearly the Giro is going to be that big win Quick-Step planned going into the season.

As a Rog fan I'll also say Evenepoel is favorite due to the number of ITT km's next month. It's also 'just the way it is'. But it doesn't change the fact despite his extraordinary level & potential ceiling (which we don't know high high it can go yet) he's ironically not a sure bet to win a Grand Tour, whether it's this year's Giro (i.e. because Roglič is far closer than many people anticipated) or the TdF next year.

The point is Quick-Step used to have loads of potential winners in its team. They've just suffered some crazy misfortune whereby riders who were considered the world's best just a couple of years ago (Alaphilippe being a major one) have trouble getting top 10's now. For example Flèche is coming & that used to be a certain victory. It isn't anymore.

So in order to win a lot throughout the season, Quick-Step probably need a complete overhaul of its classics roster in the coming transfer season.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Quick Step are the in the same boat as many other teams, riders who were good enough a couple of years ago are now outclassed.
The problem is where do these replacements come from. There are all riding for Jumbo or Alpecin.

 

[yaco]

I expect QS will try to offload Alaphalippe and not re-contract Jakobsen so they can strenghten their Classics squad.

 

[Red Rick]

I thought Alaphilippe had a contract through 2024, or is PCS wrong about that?

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

I thought Alaphilippe had a contract through 2024, or is PCS wrong about that?

He has, but given Lefevere's comments about him there has been much media speculation about him going at the end of the season.

 

[Samamba]

I thought Alaphilippe had a contract through 2024, or is PCS wrong about that?

No he does, but PatLef might just bully alaphilippe into agreeing a termination of that contract. PatLef is pretty good at bullying.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Changes and hoped for strengthening will undoubtedly happen, but Pat will want wins and wins straight away next season. Where are these riders? I'm not seeng them at the moment.
Yes Kung, Pederson and Ganna would deliver top placings, but based on this cobbles season not wins.

 

[Riek s]

I'm not judging it, I'm just saying it the way it is (in response to a comment saying Quick-Step should logically forget the classics side of the team & focus 100% on Evenepoel). In a sense we can assume they already have, i.e. considering the way this season has unfolded so far. Clearly the Giro is going to be that big win Quick-Step planned going into the season.

As a Rog fan I'll also say Evenepoel is favorite due to the number of ITT km's next month. It's also 'just the way it is'. But it doesn't change the fact despite his extraordinary level & potential ceiling (which we don't know high high it can go yet) he's ironically not a sure bet to win a Grand Tour, whether it's this year's Giro (i.e. because Roglič is far closer than many people anticipated) or the TdF next year.

The point is Quick-Step used to have loads of potential winners in its team. They've just suffered some crazy misfortune whereby riders who were considered the world's best just a couple of years ago (Alaphilippe being a major one) have trouble getting top 10's now. For example Flèche is coming & that used to be a certain victory. It isn't anymore.

So in order to win a lot throughout the season, Quick-Step probably need a complete overhaul of its classics roster in the coming transfer season.

Maybe we talked next to each other. My point was that Remco is a favorite for the classics and GT he starts. (whether he wins them or not). So he is a good bet to invest in. No rider can guarantee a victory in any of the classics or GT, but having a favorite should be enough to go for.

Of course some teams want to bet on multiple horses for different races, and in that i agree with you. Maybe if JV pulls the plug, things might change with top riders being divided over multiple teams instead of grouped in a single team.

But even if we look at the last races, besides the 6 big names, the others were not even in the same playing field.
If VDP/WVA/Roglic/pog/Vingegaard/Remco pulled to the front, all the other riders dropped like stones. So its not easy to have 2 riders in that group (JV has 3..). And i think not only soudal struggles with this.