German sprinter Marcel Kittel is set to meet with Quick-Step Floors team boss Patrick Lefevere amid speculation that he could move away from the Belgian team in 2018.
Het Niewusblad reports that Lefevere had agreed to meet with Kittel at the Ster ZLM Toer in the Netherlands, which starts on Wednesday.
“I have agreed with Marcel that we will sit down together at the Ster ZLM,” he told the paper. “Marcel has assured me that he has not decided on his future.”
The future of the Belgian team has been in doubt for a number of months, with Lefevere looking for a bigger sponsor to enable him to afford the large salaries of star riders such as Kittel, Philippe Gilbert, and Julian Alaphilippe.
Kittel could be heading to Katusha-Alpecin as a replacement for Alexander Kristoff (who himself could be moving to Astana in 2018), therefore avoiding potential intra-team conflict with Fernando Gaviria after the Colombian’s golden Grand Tour debut at the Giro d’Italia.
The Belgian newspaper also revealed that Lefevere was happy with Dan Martin’s place in the team. Fulfilling a mentor’s position, Lefevere believed the Irishman played a good role in teaching younger riders.
