Remco Evenepoel told team ‘Ineos bullshit has to stop’, reveals Lefevere

Lefevere reveals what the Belgian told his teammates ahead of the Vuelta a España and gives his verdict of recent Lanterne Rouge interview

13:20, Tuesday 29th August 2023

Patrick Fletcher

Deputy Editor

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Remco Evenepoel rode into the red jersey by winning stage 3

In recent times, it has seemed that Remco Evenepoel and Patrick Lefevere have been singing from different hymn sheets, but the Soudal Quick-Step boss says he “heard the things he wanted to hear” from his young star in a speech made to his teammates ahead of the Vuelta a España.

Despite having a contract through 2026, Evenepoel has been repeatedly linked with a move away from the Belgian team, with Ineos Grenadiers reportedly showing a persistent interest, and rumours of a rift between Lefevere and Evenepoel’s father, who’s also his agent.

In recent weeks, there has even been speculation over a potential sale of the team or a merger with Ineos.

“There must be so little news, I think, for the press, because everyone jumps on this and makes it bigger,” Lefevere told GCN at the Vuelta in Barcelona.

“They make an elephant from a mouse, they start a fantasy. I’m so long in cycling - do you really think I need this?”

Lefevere revealed that Evenepoel had referenced the speculation over his future in a speech given to his teammates on the eve of his title defence at the Vuelta. “He got the team together in the afternoon, he did a speech, and he blew everyone away,” said Lefevere, before paraphrasing.

“‘To have trust, that we can win, that everybody has to stop about this bullshit, that he trusts his teammates’. They were the things I wanted to hear."

Lefevere was reluctant to talk in any real detail about what has really happened with the whole saga, but he did issue a couple of wisecracks that hinted at the tensions, including a reaction to a recent 90-minute-long interview Evenepoel gave to the YouTube channel Lanterne Rouge.

“The best interview ever,” beamed Evenepoel’s father on social media, in an indication of how it might have come about. Lefevere, though, wasn’t quite so impressed.

“That was a nice one. I was on vacation, I was starting to listen to it in bed and my wife poked me - ‘oh boy, you’re asleep’,” Lefevere grinned. “It was a good one to fall asleep to.”