He has always been a special character. But something has happened during the last 6 months. He must have got dementia or a death sentence and practically not giving a f***
Began thinking he's some kind of (manager) star.
Happens in approvable habitat.
Just a matter of style and manners.
This spree is not going to end well for him. I am disapponted at the lack of reaction in cycling media world. In any other sport, he would be history long ago...
Won't people please be civil to the drunk misogynist who regularly bullies riders.
It pure Capitalism, for profit motive. The belgian Govt/cycling fed can start a national team to help grow the women's road sport and talent till it becomes viable for the the private sector to step in.
I feel like I would just punch this * in the face if he started talking this way in a bar within earshot. My god he is just the second most idiotic self absorbed head in the world.
* There's Trump.
It's not about whether he should build a women's team. I can understand PL if he thinks it's not worth it for him to invest in a women's team, it's the way he expresses his stance which makes it sound quite ignorant and derogatory. It's one thing to say "I'm a business man and there's not enough in it for me", but he sounds pretty much like "I'm simply not interested in women's sport". He doesn't even acknowledge Lotte Kopecky who's one of the best female riders right now, but it sounds like he hardly knows her.
oMG, another winner from him
He says he won't create a women's team because he isn't the "social welfare center".
These comments aren't just uncharitable readings of what Lefevere actually said, they're flat out slanderous and a good example of unhinged, wild-eyed, internet mobs at work.
Lefevere never said he "he won't create a women's team because he isn't the "social welfare center"" or anything like it.
He flat out stated he won't create a women's team because there aren't enough quality Belgian riders - he even states the team wouldn't need to be majorly Belgian but that it'd make sense to have some sort of Belgian core.
He mentions D'Hoore is retiring and there isn't enough talent coming up the ranks to create a solid team. He says he went to Trofeo Binda and no Belgian came within 5 minutes of ELB (it's true, first was Van de Velde at 53rd - I think they got that mixed up with the De Panne when he says nobody from his team made top-50 there - this was an interview not some text he had prepared).
Then he goes on that there needs to be developmental work done in women youth cycling a priori of thinking in professional teams and that Belgian girls need to be persuaded to take on road cycling.
On that topic, he goes on to say "And will due respect, I'm not the OCMW and that's not my job" - which is, of course, 100% true: the man manages a pro cycling team. Why should he be doing that work, either with girls or boys?
He even goes on to say that even if he wanted to do that work, which he doesn't, he wouldn't have the experience, the means or the qualifications.
It was a very sensible reply. There wasn't any misogynism whatsoever in it. Nothing against women cycling or whatever other diatribes were written here. At most a bleak picture of the state of Belgian women cycling but not an unrealistic one - there are two, soon to be one, Belgian rider in the UCI top-100.
Again, one Belgian rider in the top-100. Lefevere very correctly points out that he can't be asked to change that because he simply lacks the experience, money or expertise to do that job and is eviscerated by a mob of unthinking loons.