The Belgian Patrick Lefevere, who will leave his position as CEO of the Soudal-Quick Step team on December 31, is leaving “with a light heart” leaving “a beautiful 23 year old baby” to his successor Jurgen Foré, he said this Wednesday, December 11 at a press conference.
The decision to leave the head of the team he founded in 2003 has been made “a few weeks ago”explained the 70-year-old manager.
“It’s not a forced departure that was decided yesterday or a day before. I went to Switzerland to chat with Zdenek Bakala (the main shareholder of the team) and we made this decision together”he continued.
In a peloton with an ever-increasing budget, the Belgian boss has felt a greater workload on his shoulders in recent seasons.
“I'm not going to lie: I physically feel like I'm not the same person I was twenty years ago. The team has become so big, with the arrival of the women's squad in particular. There are more than a hundred people to manage. It was becoming a lot”explained the one who has been active in Cycling for 55 years.
“I don’t want to be the bad copy”
Lefevere therefore leaves “with a light heart after ensuring that patron Zdenek Bakala will continue to invest in the team in the coming years.”
Patrick Lefevere founded the team that is today called Soudal Quick-Step in 2003. It became one of the most powerful formations in the peloton and achieved nearly 1,000 victories under his leadership including 22 Monuments, 1 Grand Tour (the 2022 Vuelta by Remco Evenepoel) and 124 stages in a Grand Tour, the team recalled Tuesday evening.
His successor will be his compatriot Jurgen Foé (54), son of Noël Foré, former winner of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Until now, he was COO, operational director of the team.
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“I am both proud and humbledhe confided. I will try to do everything to continue Patrick's success, but in my own way. I don't want to be another person's bad copy. And I will not hesitate to ask Patrick for advice if necessary.”
Foré's biggest challenge will undoubtedly be to keep Remco Evenepoel among his squad in the coming seasons. The double Olympic champion of Paris-2024 is regularly approached by teams with a budget larger than that of Soudal.
This fall, he was the subject of a diligent courtship by the Red Bull-Bora team before remaining faithful to Soudal-Quick Step.
