Soudal Quick-Step begins the 2026 season facing one of the biggest transitions in its history. With Remco Evenepoel leaving the team for Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, the Belgian powerhouse is navigating a new direction after one of its most successful years. Despite an impressive 2025 packed with victories, the question now is whether Soudal Quick-Step can maintain momentum without its main GC leader, and what this means for the coming season.
A High-Pressure Start to the Post-Lefevere Period
The 2025 season was the first without longtime manager Patrick Lefevere, yet Soudal Quick-Step still delivered an exceptional year, finishing behind only UAE Team Emirates in total wins. However, one key objective remained out of reach: a major spring classics victory. The Wolfpack collected several strong one-day results, but the biggest classics slipped away.
Classic Races: Close Calls, But No Major Prizes
Throughout the spring, Soudal Quick-Step displayed top form:
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Remco Evenepoel won Brabantse Pijl
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Tim Merlier claimed Scheldeprijs
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Paul Magnier added wins at Heistse Pijl, Elfstedenronde, and GP de Fourmies
Yet the team narrowly missed the top step in the biggest classics:
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Evenepoel finished second in Il Lombardia
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Merlier took second in Gent-Wevelgem
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Magnier missed victory by inches at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Additional podiums in the Amstel Gold Race and ADAC Cyclassics confirmed consistency, but not a breakthrough win in the sport’s most prestigious classics.
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Grand Tours: Stage Wins Lead the Way
While major classics eluded them, Soudal Quick-Step excelled in stage racing. At the 2025 Tour de France, the team secured four stage victories—two from Merlier, one from Evenepoel, and another from Valentin Paret-Peintre. Evenepoel’s exit from the Tour due to exhaustion was a disappointment, but the overall Tour performance remained strong.
Elsewhere:
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Junior Lecerf took the team’s best GC finish: 11th at the Vuelta
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Merlier dominated the AlUla Tour, UAE Tour, Paris–Nice, Belgium Tour, and Renewi Tour
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Magnier delivered 19 wins, second only to Pogačar in the entire peloton
By season’s end, Soudal Quick-Step amassed 54 victories, marking a significant improvement and cementing the team as one of the most successful squads in world cycling.
A Strong 2025, but Still Space to Grow
Analysts praised the Wolfpack’s 2025 season for its depth and number of wins. However, the absence of a major Monument victory remained a gap. The team enters 2026 with a strong base and room to climb higher.
Remco Evenepoel Leaves a Major Gap
According to multiple sources, Evenepoel’s dramatic move to Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe is one of the biggest transfer stories of the decade. His departure strips Soudal Quick-Step of its central GC weapon, a rider around whom the team often built its Grand Tour strategy.
Instead of replacing him with another GC-focused leader, the team is shifting priorities.
Transfers 2025–2026: A Powerful Return to the Classics
The new transfer window shows a clear strategy: Soudal Quick-Step is rebuilding around the classics, a return to the Wolfpack’s traditional identity.
Key signings for the classics and depth
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Dylan van Baarle – world-class classics specialist
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Laurenz Rex – strong cobbled rider
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Jasper Stuyven – proven Monument winner
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Fabio Van den Bossche – engine for mixed terrain
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Alberto Dainese, Steff Cras, Filippo Zana, Jonathan Vervenne
Notable departures
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Remco Evenepoel and Mattia Cattaneo → Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe
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Luke Lamperti → EF Education–EasyPost
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James Knox → Picnic PostNL
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Pieter Serry and Jordi Warlop → Retired
The transfer movements reflect a clear shift: fewer GC ambitions, renewed dominance in cobbled and one-day races.
Riders to Watch in the 2026 Season
The revamped classics squad is one of the hottest storylines in pro cycling:
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Van Baarle
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Stuyven
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Rex
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Eenkhoorn
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Lampaert
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Van Gestel
This lineup positions Soudal Quick-Step as a potential powerhouse for the 2026 spring classics.
Other major questions for the season
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Can Paul Magnier continue his incredible 2025 form?
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Will young talents Vervenne and Martin Svrcek develop into major assets?
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Can Mikel Landa or Junior Lecerf step into a stronger GC role?
Is 2026 a Gamble or a Revival for Soudal Quick-Step?
Losing Remco Evenepoel is undeniably a blow for the team’s GC future. Yet Soudal Quick-Step remains far from a team in decline. With a strong classics core, a high-performing sprint lineup, and a proven winning structure, the Wolfpack has the potential to thrive in its new chapter.
A major spring victory could reignite the team’s dominance and show the cycling world that even without Evenepoel, Soudal Quick-Step remains one of the most resilient and dangerous squads in the peloton.
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