Soudal - Quick Step Thread

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Logic-is-your-friend

Logic-is-your-friend

Jun 7, 2011
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Call it a hunch, but i get the feeling the team will be getting a new sponsor before long. I don't think "Quick-Step" as a name really fits anymore. And Soudal is known for "do it yourself" kits, that also does not really seem fitting. However, after some thought and snooping around for big Belgian companies that might be interested in sponsoring this team, i'm certain i have found the perfect match: right here.
 
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Billy The Kid

Jun 16, 2024
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Dazed and Confused said:
Well, the steppers can still ring up stage wins...
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Yes💪 After missing out on stage one and a lot of bad luck with crashes and Cattaneo abandon, we have to be super happy with 3 stage wins so far😃

Now it will be very interesting to see how Remco will go in the mountains. On the negative side he has used more energy than Pog and Vinge so far. On the positive side it looks like he is racing himself towards top form. Also these victories is very good for team morale. So it can go either way, and the first real test is tomorrow with 4450 meters of climbing.

I’m not expecting him to keep up with Pog and Vinge, but he looks the strongest of the rest so far.
 
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Links2003

Jul 22, 2024
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Dazed and Confused said:
It would appear the steppers' GC team is ready for the 3rd week. Too bad the leader dropped out.
4th stage win.
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It looks like the team is even stronger since Remco left. They already have 4 stage wins and tomorrow is the next very good chance for number five. The team has been weak in the mountains so far and Lefevre has also criticized his riders.
And as soon as Remco is out, today's stage winner is suddenly in the spotlight. Also in the group before the rest day. Maybe it was a relief that the GC issue is over.
 
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Billy The Kid

Jun 16, 2024
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The cat is out of the bag and it is finally confirmed that Remco is leaving us after this season 😔

Personally i would like us to spend some of the Remco money from RedBull to buy out Jarno Widar from his contract at Lotto. A new Belgium super talented climber and a future GT winner. This is the time to do it and bounce back swiftly in the transfer market.

As i see it we dont have a podium GC candidate in the team anymore, except maybe Landa in the Vuelta. Hopefully Van Wilder can step up and develop, but unfortunatelly it seems like he will not be more then a Top 10 candidate. Paret-Peintre is a super talented climber, but needs to rapidly improve on the TT and his stability for 3 weeks.

The re-focus on the classics is good , but we also need puncheurs for the hilly classics. Magnier is going to be super good in the future and we have the best sprinter in the world with Tim, but my wish list for the 5 last riders in the team is this:

1.Jarno Widar
2. Kevin Vauquelin
3. Dylan Van Baarle
4.Noah Møller Andersen
5.Seff Van Kerckhove
 
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Dazed and Confused

Jan 27, 2012
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Performance in the cobbled races is priority one. Being able to make these races rather then being a 2nd rated passenger should be the main goal moving forward imo. There is plenty of fire power in the bunchsprint department to get a significant number of (stage) wins in various other races. Build up the win rate from this core. Don't think the team should focus on GT GC at all, waste of budget.
 
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Brullnux

Mar 31, 2015
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Dazed and Confused said:
Performance in the cobbled races is priority one. Being able to make these races rather then being a 2nd rated passenger should be the main goal moving forward imo. There is plenty of fire power in the bunchsprint department to get a significant number of (stage) wins in various other races. Build up the win rate from this core. Don't think the team should focus on GT GC at all, waste of budget.
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Agree, Quickstep should go back to doing what made the team excel, rather than fighting (badly) for GT podiums.
 
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Didinho

Didinho

Jan 10, 2019
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Pater-Peintre is free to win the Tour next year.

Curious what they will do in the next years. I’ve always been a fan of the classics team. With Stuyven and Van Baarle they got some new experienced riders. Maybe they can get results as a team again.

Magnier will be a top rider, also expect him to grow in the classics.

Hope they get back to their stage winning mentality, away from GC ambitions. Landa can still do what he want.
 
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CyclistAbi

May 29, 2019
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Salvarani said:
More likely to go back and try to build up a classics core again.

Try to find some good one-day racers and stage-hunters again.
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Likely, but the thing is some teams are now rather packed with talent and some talent is in within SOQ already and a window of opportunity was opened here, to become GT team leader and to get decent salary for it. In the next two to three seasons i feel SOQ will be prepared to make such bet, to see on how it goes. We'll see.
 
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Salvarani

Oct 15, 2017
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CyclistAbi said:
Likely, but the thing is some teams are now rather packed with talent and some talent is in within SOQ already and a window of opportunity was opened here, to become GT team leader and to get decent salary for it. In the next two to three seasons i feel SOQ will be prepared to make such bet, to see on how it goes. We'll see.
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I don’t think so.

They will try transform back into what they were and try to recruit/develop young riders into stars, which they did well before.
 
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CyclistAbi

May 29, 2019
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Salvarani said:
I don’t think so.

They will try transform back into what they were and try to recruit/develop young riders into stars, which they did well before.
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I mean transform back, they never transformed into anything else, hence business as usual. Still, i have a feeling they will keep it like it is, for now, on when it comes to stage racing. Here hence they do need a new team leader and somebody will fill that role.
 
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Salvarani

Oct 15, 2017
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CyclistAbi said:
They have to prove a point so i imagine they will do just that.
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No, I think they will build a core around the classics again. Where they have struck out for a few years now as they have lost those riders or they got too old.

They will focus more on the sprints and classics.

Then they need to find their next Ala in the near future for hilly races. Maybe by starting to find and recruit well. They havent recently in that department. Young talents have went elsewhere. It is not been the place to develop for some time now. Maybe because the direction of all these dev teams and the money to sign them has gone up.

Then they will always someone that can do GC-result... but it will be in a free role. Like they had riders in the past, Not a team dedicated to it or being a GC-team.

As said, I think they will to go back to their "old" approach and this Remco era for them is over now.
 
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