Remco Evenepoel was reportedly offered a multi-million euro contract to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe in the summer according to HLN columnist and former Sporza commentator Michel Wuyts.
Evenepoel ultimately decided to remain at Soudal-QuickStep for 2025, telling Cyclingnews during the Zurich World Championships: "I'll stay where I am, that's pretty clear. No transfers." He has always avoided talking about his contract.
Wuyts suggested that Red Bull was ready to offer Evenepoel €10 million per season.
"The contract was indeed ready for Evenepoel. €10 million per year plus three [helpers] including coach [Klaas] Lodewyck," wrote Wuyts in Het Laatste Nieuws.
Wuyts added that "Lefevere set up obstacles for the transfer of the sidekicks and glued Evenepoel on for the duration of his contract. He partly closed the financial gap with the decisive input of COO Jurgen Foré. Evenepoel now earns €5 million."
Wuyts claim was headline news in the Flemish media but Cyclingnews understands the €10 million per year is more likely for a two-year contract. Tadej Pogačar reportedly earns €8 million per year after signing a new contract with UAE Team Emirates and is understandably the highest-paid rider in the sport.
One well-informed source told Cyclingnews the idea that Red Bull would pay Evenepoel €10 million per year was 'fake news'.
The source suggested the contract offer was €4 million per year plus bonuses that could easily reach €5 million, the contract amount that Evenepoel has perhaps now agreed with Soudal-QuickStep.
Cyclingnews reached out to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe for comment.
Soudal-QuickStep team boss Lefevere wasn't happy with the attempts made by Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe manager Ralph Denk to try and persuade Evenepoel out of his agreed contract, confirming that this was the second endeavour at bringing the Belgian star.
"Do you know my friend Ralph Denk? He has done the same thing twice: he offers a contract with very high bonuses, which is not done with riders under contract," said Lefevere in conversation with Tom Boonen and Het Nieuwsblad.
"He had done it once four years ago and now again. Last week I heard that he also visited Tom Pidcock. Denk, I don't like him."
Ultimately, Lefevere was able to keep hold of his star rider having seen him turn pro back in 2019 and become one of the riders of a generation. Evenepoel made his Tour de France debut in 2024, finishing third behind Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).
After the 2025 Tour route was revealed last week, Evenepoel saw the stage 5 time trial as a potential chance to take the yellow jersey, with a wider goal of repeating his podium finish to come later in the high mountains.
Soudal-QuickStep have still to confirm their goals and Grand Tour plans for 2025 but Lefevere has hinted that sprinter Tim Merlier is likely to make the 2025 roster, as a potential winner on the opening Lille flat stage and then become a domestique for Evenepoel.
Wuyts sees it as a no-brainer to bring Merlier and lead-out man Bert Van Lerberghe given the amount of sprint stages and his ability to compete with and beat the likes of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), the Tour's top sprinter from the past three seasons.
"Leaving Merlier and pilot Van Lerberghe at home would be really stupid," Wuyts said. "And what about support in the mountains? Going up against stinking rich and superstar world teams is wishful thinking.
"If Pogacar and Vingegaard are brought to the final climb behind a [four-man train], Remco can limit the damage."
