Remco Evenepoel has put an end to the endless transfer speculation linking him with a move away from Soudal Quick-Step at the end of the 2024 season.
Evenepoel has been regularly connected to a possible switch to the German team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, which is also sponsored by Specialized, Evenepoel's bike sponsors. However, Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported late on Thursday that any possible move was dead in the water.
Evenepoel is tied to Patrick Lefevere’s team until 2026, although his constant stream of high-profile results has meant that he has constantly been linked with moves elsewhere.
Ineos Grenadiers attempted to sign Evenepoel as a junior and were said to be exploring ways to acquire the Belgian’s services in the autumn of 2022. Formal meetings to explore a possible transfer were reported to have taken place between Evenepoel, his father who acts as his agent, and team representatives. But Ineos failed in their attempts to entice the now double Olympic champion away from his current team.
Evenepoel made his debut at the Tour de France this summer, securing third overall, a stage win and the best young rider’s classification.
The Slovenian dominated the recent Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, his final race before heading to Zurich, and is the outright favourite to claim the rainbow jersey, but Evenepoel is not too far behind.
Pogačar now stands on the cusp of history, although Evenepoel has his own monumental achievement within reach. He won the road world title in 2022 in Australia, but if he reclaims the rainbow jersey on Sunday he could become the first man to complete a historic Olympic and World Championships quadruple in the same season.
