Patrick Lefevere praised Remco Evenepoel after his historic double gold medal haul on the Paris Olympics however accepted that the success will price him and Soudal-Fast Step considerably, with Evenepoel in line for a hefty double bonus to go along with his double gold.
Evenepoel’s Olympic success, coming quickly after his third place on the Tour de France, will even elevate his contract worth and solely proceed stories and hypothesis that rival groups resembling Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe or Ineos Grenadiers might attempt to tempt him away from Soudal-Fast Step earlier than the top of his present contract.
“So long as nobody places something concrete on my desk, he’ll experience for us,” Lefevere instructed Het Nieuwsblad, repeating feedback that he expects rival group managers might attempt to entice his group chief away however that Evenepoel is below contract till the top of 2026.
“If somebody says tomorrow: ‘That is annual wage, we’ll double that and add somewhat bit extra’, then I would have the ability to settle for it,” Het Nieuwsblad reported him as saying.
“It’s all the way down to the rider. A 12 months or two in the past he mentioned that there’s a lot of labor to do within the group however I would not know during which space we now cannot sustain. I am not going to provide him away for nothing. We have now 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 group might be a ‘a number of of that quantity’ Lefevere admitted.
“There are all the time two within the group who cheer immediately: Geert Coeman and I however then we all the time instantly suppose: how a lot is that going to price?” Lefevere mentioned, referring to Soudal-QuickStep’s CFO.
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“Folks suppose I am a monkey in that respect, however they do not need to pay him. How a lot? It’s greater than sufficient. That’s nonetheless a legacy from three years in the past when Mr Ralph Denk put a proposal on the desk.”
The provide from the Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe group supervisor compelled Lefevere to extend his contract provide to Evenepoel and add in vital bonuses.
“Remco makes it tough to calculate your finances,” Lefevere instructed Nieuwsblad, apparently with amusing, realizing that Evenepoel’s success will be expensive in addition to satisfying.
“He earned it. Though it stays a disgrace that our sponsors get little to no profit from it,” Lefevered added, highlighting the restricted publicity a group or sponsor can develop from Olympic success as a result of Worldwide Olympic Committee’s strict safety of its branding.
“That photograph below the Eiffel Tower is admittedly stunning. It is going to most likely get a spot in my workplace someplace.”
Lefevere was not in Paris, preferring to look at the street race at dwelling in Belgium. He celebrated with an aperitif after which the basic Belgian dish of tomatoes filled with prawns.
“I averted the crowds in Paris. From my armchair you may observe every little thing significantly better and you’re extra within the second. I watched your complete race,” Levefere mentioned, praising Evenepoel.
“When he attacked I knew: it was ‘Ciao!. He was spectacular within the time trial, in order that they’d need to go laborious to catch him.
“It’s not the primary time that Remco has achieved distinctive issues. The best way he rode round on Saturday, he did not appear to really feel the cobblestones.”
Lefevere has urged that Evenepoel will now take pleasure in a break from racing and maybe experience the Tour of Britain (Sept 3-8) earlier than focusing on the Highway World Championships in Zurich in late September.
Tour of Britain race director Rod Ellingworth instructed Cyclingnews that they’d be glad to see Evenepoel conflict with Tom Pidcock however the organisers of the Belgian Renwi Tour WorldTour stage race (August 27-Sep 1) might attempt to safe Evenepoel’s presence with a major look charge.
If Evenepoel stays at Soudal-Fast Step in 2025, Lefevere has indicated he might 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 Excursions that he has not received but. That would be the subsequent problem,” Lefevere identified.
“Remco is a man with an insatiable starvation. As soon as he is rested, I believe he’ll peak for the World Championships in Zurich. Usually, the Tour of Britain was on his program,e, however possibly it will likely be the Renewi Tour.
“Everybody talks about coaching however I’ve seen that he all the time rides sooner after a Grand Tour. Meaning he must race to be at his greatest.”
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