Remco Evenepoel signs new long-term contract with Deceuninck - Quick-Step

The Belgian star has been given the longest contract ever handed out by team boss Patrick Lefevere 

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Remco Evenepoel has signed a new long-term contract with Deceuninck - Quick-Step, which will take him up to his 26th birthday.

The rising Belgian star, who began his WorldTour career with Deceuninck in 2019, has now signed the longest contract ever penned by team boss Patrick Lefevere. 

Having delivered on expectation in the first three seasons, Evenepoel has signed a new five-year deal with the Belgian WorldTour squad, as the team bank on him as a leader for the coming years. 

Announcing the new contract, 21-year-old Evenepoel said: “I feel really honoured to put pen to paper for the next five years. As Patrick told me, this is the longest agreement he has ever signed with a rider. I’m really proud and happy to stay in this wonderful team, where I have already enjoyed a lot of success, and hopefully we can reach our big dreams. 

“I love it here! The environment, the staff, the riders, everything feels so familiar. For me it’s just a dream, again, that comes true. That’s why I feel really, really happy and excited for what the future holds.”

Evenepoel emerged as a future star during the 2018 World Championships in Innsbruck, where he dominated the junior time trial and road race, signing with Deceuninck for the following season. 

Just two full seasons later he already has 14 professional victories to his name, including five overall wins in stage races, plus the Clásica San Sebastrian and the European Time Trial Championships.

Deceuninck - Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere said: “It’s an important step for the future, for the team. Everybody knows what Remco is capable of and how talented he is. As he said, he’s happy, and one of my most important roles is to keep him happy and to put the right people around him. Because I know from experience, and I think I have some after a small 40 years in the sport, that happy people perform better than unhappy people. We’re glad Remco continues with the Wolfpack, and as he said, we hope we’ll enjoy many more great moments together.

”It’s an important step for the future, for the team. Everybody knows what Remco is capable of and how talented he is. As he said, he’s happy, and one of my most important roles is to keep him happy and to put the right people around him. Because I know from experience, and I think I have some after a small 40 years in the sport, that happy people perform better than unhappy people. 

“We’re glad Remco continues with the Wolfpack, and as he said, we hope we’ll enjoy many more great moments together.”

>>> Mathieu van der Poel shares his phenomenal power numbers from Tour of Flanders 2021  

Evenepoel is still returning to fitness after a serious crash in the 2020 Il Lombardia, which left him with a broken pelvis, but he is expected to return to racing at the Giro d’Italia next month, his Grand Tour debut. 

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Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.