Soudal-QuickStep boss calls Evenepoel’s departure a burden - ‘The process was too long’
Jürgen Foré has admitted that the departure of Soudal-QuickStep’s leader Remco Evenepoel to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was a burden for the team due to the length of time the process took, but reinstated his optimism ahead of the 2026 season.
"The process was long, too long," admitted Foré, the CEO of Soudal-QuickStep, in an interview with La Dernière Heure. "The uncertainty became a burden. I prefer clarity to a question mark that drags on for years."
Following many seasons of speculation surrounding Evenepoel’s long-term future, the Belgian star ultimately made the switch to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe for the 2026 season, where he will link up with the likes of Florian Lipowitz and Primož Roglič.
Foré highlighted how the uncertainty surrounding Evenepoel’s future in recent times impacted the sporting plans of the Belgian team going forward, even during the build-up to the 2025 season.
“Last winter, it was difficult to decide whether to invest more in a rider who might leave months later. That uncertainty held us back,” said Foré.
Foré also admitted his frustration with Belgian legislation, which favours employees' rights, and in his view, forced the hand of his team. “I've never denied that contracts are signed to be honoured. We're not football. But the laws in Belgium give national riders a lot of power. We had no choice but to accept his departure.”
After ripping up the junior ranks, Evenepoel jumped straight to the WorldTour with the Belgian team in 2019, making a big impact in his debut season as a teenager, most notably winning the Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa.
The team switched its focus from its traditional Cobbled Classics roots to support an ambitious Evenepoel with his GC targets, which saw him win the Vuelta a España in 2022, before in 2024 he became the first Belgian in 43 years since Lucien Van Impe in 1981 to finish on the podium of the Tour de France.
Despite the stardom of Evenepoel and the 67 professional victories he has picked up in his career so far, Foré insists that he will look fondly on the memories, but for now, his focus is on evolving the team during life post-Evenepoel.
“As soon as it was official, I closed that chapter in my mind. It's been a privilege to have a superstar like Remco, but 2026 will be the start of a new story,” said Foré.
Soudal-QuickStep’s business in the transfer market indicates a shift in focus to the Classics, with the two former monument winners Jasper Stuyven and Dylan van Baarle among those who have joined, adding to the ever-impressive Paul Magnier and Tim Merlier, two of the most prolific winners in the peloton last season.
The team will also be hoping that Ilan Van Wilder and Valentin Paret-Peintre can be among those who continue to rise in the climbing department following Evenepoel's departure.
"The team has matured and is ready to flourish. Our goal remains to win as many or more than in 2025. And, above all, to shine again in the Tour, which remains vital for our sponsors,” said Foré. "We are reconnecting with our essence. The team is bigger than any one rider."
