Remco Evenepoel has given a straight-faced but veiled indication that he will stay at the Soudal Quick-Step team in 2025 despite reports of interest from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and an apparent deadline for any major transfer deal.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team manager Ralph Denk also described the reports as ‘gossip’ without denying that talks, possible deals and deadlines have been discussed.
Evenepoel is under contract with Soudal Quick-Step until the end of 2026 but a growing number of reports have suggested that Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have given the Belgian a deadline to decide on the move. The arrival of the energy drink brand has massively raised the ambitions of the team and Evenepoel seems an ideal future Grand Tour leader.
Any offer is likely to be significant, with Evenpoel perhaps commanding an annual salary of between four or five million euros, and a fee to cover any contract buy-out costs. Any deal would have to be agreed by all parties and approved by the UCI.
Soudal Quick-Step team manager Patrick Lefevere has often clashed with Evenepoel’s father, who acts as his agent, and has warned that any deal will be expensive and legally complex.
The speculations and reports have only intensified since the Tour and Evenepoel’s double gold-medal winning performance at the Paris Olympic Games. He returned to racing at the Tour of Britain and the final question from Flemish media at the race was about his future.
"I don't know anything about that," Evenepoel told the huddle of Flemish media, without revealing any emotion or reaction to the subject.
"So much always comes out without any truth to it. I have no idea what that would be about. I haven't seen anything myself.”
When asked if he will still ride for Soudal Quick-Step in 2025: Evenepoel replied: “That's a yes."
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team manager Ralph Denk celebrated Primož Roglič’s Vuelta a Espana victory in Madrid but could not escape questions about Evenepoel.
Some reports have suggested that Roglič could be part of a swap deal with Soudal Quick-Step. Last year he left Jumbo-Visma for a Tour de France leadership role. However Red Bull then took a majority stake in the team and Roglic crashed out of the French Grand Tour, while Evenepoel proved his Tour credentials.
“I hear and read the rumours every day in Italian, English and the Belgian media but I have nothing to say about it,” Denk told Het Laatste Nieuws when intercepted in Madrid.
“They are gossip and I may not, cannot and will not respond to them. No matter how annoying that is.”
Evenepoel travelled to his home in Spain after the Tour of Britain for a final block of training before the World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland. He has opted out of this week's European Championships in Belgium for a bigger and better block of training.
Evenepoel tried to be aggressive during the Tour of Britain but lost time and so worked for teammates Julian Alaphilippe and Paul Magnier.
"It was a matter of building up and getting back into it. I couldn't do more than that,” he said.
"I just have to improve everything and get better. Going to an altitude training camp is not an option, I will be training at sea level."
"It's all about intensity, training behind the moped and on my time trial bike."
"I just have to train hard and then build up some freshness for the time trial on September 22, then I have one week left until the road race."
