Patrick Lefevere praised Remco Evenepoel after his historic double gold medal haul on the Paris Olympics however accepted that the success will value him and Soudal-Quick Step considerably, with Evenepoel in line for a hefty double bonus to go together with his double gold.
Evenepoel’s Olympic success, coming quickly after his third place on the Tour de France, can even elevate his contract worth and solely proceed stories and hypothesis that rival groups equivalent to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe or Ineos Grenadiers could attempt to tempt him away from Soudal-Quick Step earlier than the tip of his present contract.
“As lengthy as nobody places something concrete on my desk, he’ll journey for us,” Lefevere instructed Het Nieuwsblad, repeating feedback that he expects rival workforce managers could attempt to entice his workforce chief away however that Evenepoel is underneath contract till the tip of 2026.
“If somebody says tomorrow: ‘This is annual wage, we are going to double that and add slightly bit extra, then I would be capable of settle for it’,” Het Nieuwsblad reported him as saying.
“It is right down to the rider. A yr or two in the past he stated that there’s a lot of labor to do within the workforce however I would not know wherein space we now cannot sustain. I’m not going to present him away for nothing. We have by no means paid Remco a Euro too little, quite the opposite.”
Evenepoel earned €50,000 for every gold medal from the Belgian Olympic committee however his bonuses from his skilled workforce will probably be a ‘a number of of that quantity’ Lefevere admitted.
“There are at all times two within the workforce who cheer instantly: Geert Coeman and I however then we at all times instantly assume: how a lot is that going to value?” Lefevere stated, referring to Soudal-QuickStep’s CFO.
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“People assume I’m a monkey in that respect, however they do not should pay him. How a lot? It is greater than sufficient. That remains to be a legacy from three years in the past when Mr Ralph Denk put a proposal on the desk.”
The provide from the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe workforce supervisor pressured Lefevere to extend his contract provide to Evenepoel and add in vital bonuses.
“Remco makes it tough to calculate your price range,” Lefevere instructed Nieuwsblad, apparently with fun, understanding that Evenepoel’s success will be expensive in addition to satisfying.
“He earned it. Although it stays a disgrace that our sponsors get little to no profit from it,” Lefevered added, highlighting the restricted publicity a workforce or sponsor can develop from Olympic success because of the International Olympic Committee’s strict safety of its branding.
“That photograph underneath the Eiffel Tower is admittedly lovely. It will most likely get a spot in my workplace someplace.”
Lefevere was not in Paris, preferring to observe the street race at residence in Belgium. He celebrated with an aperitif after which the basic Belgian dish of tomatoes full of prawns.
“I averted the crowds in Paris. From my armchair you possibly can comply with all the pieces a lot better and you’re extra within the second. I watched your entire race,” Levefere stated, praising Evenepoel.
“When he attacked I knew: it was ‘Ciao!. He was spectacular within the time trial, so that they’d should go arduous to catch him.
“It just isn’t the primary time that Remco has completed distinctive issues. The method he rode round on Saturday, he did not appear to really feel the cobblestones.”
Lefevere has instructed that Evenepoel will now get pleasure from a break from racing and maybe journey the Tour of Britain (Sept 3-8) earlier than focusing on the Road World Championships in Zurich in late September.
Tour of Britain race director Rod Ellingworth instructed Cyclingnews that they’d be completely satisfied to see Evenepoel conflict with Tom Pidcock however the organisers of the Belgian Renwi Tour WorldTour stage race (August 27-Sep 1) could attempt to safe Evenepoel’s presence with a big look charge.
If Evenepoel stays at Soudal-Quick Step in 2025, Lefevere has indicated he may goal Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders earlier than then once more focusing on the Tour de France.
“Now that he has made historical past on this method, he must search for different challenges. There are nonetheless two Grand Tours that he has not received but. That would be the subsequent problem,” Lefevere identified.
“Remco is a man with an insatiable starvation. Once he is rested, I believe he’ll peak for the World Championships in Zurich. Normally, the Tour of Britain was on his program,e, however possibly will probably be the Renewi Tour.
“Everyone talks about coaching however I’ve seen that he at all times rides quicker after a Grand Tour. That means he must race to be at his greatest.”
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