Evenepoel finally decided to stay at Soudal-QuickStep in 2025 and told Cyclingnews during the Zurich World Championships: There is no transfer."He has always avoided talking about his contract.
Wuyts suggested that Red Bull is ready to offer Evenepoel 1000 million euros per season.
"The contract was certainly ready for Evenepoel. In addition to 1000 million euros per year, 3 [helpers], including coach [Klaas] Lodewyck," Wuyts wrote in Het Laatstenieuws.
Wuyts said, "Lefevere glued Evenepoel during his contract period, setting an obstacle for the transfer of sidekick." He partially closed the financial gap with the decisive input of COO Jurgen Foré. Efenepoel now earns 500 million euros."
Wuyts' claims were headlines in the Flemish media, but Cyclingnews understands that €10 million per year is likely a two-year contract. Tadej Pogağar is reportedly earning 800 million euros a year after signing a new contract with the UAE team Emirates and, of course, is the most expensive rider in this sport.
One source told Cyclingnews that the idea that Red Bull would pay 1,000 million euros a year is "fake news."
Sources suggested the contract offer was €4 million per year plus a bonus that could easily reach €5 million, the contract amount Evenepoel probably now agreed with Soudal-QuickStep.
Cyclingnews reached out to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe for comment.
Soudal-QuickStep team boss Lefevere was not satisfied with the attempt by Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe manager Ralph Denk to persuade Evenepoel from an agreed deal and confirmed that this was the second effort to bring in the Belgian star.
"Do you know my friend Ralph Denk'He has done the same twice:He offers a contract with a very high bonus,which is not done with riders under the contract," Lefevere said in a conversation with Tom Bunen and Het Nieuwsblad.
"He was doing it once four years ago and now again." I heard he also visited Tom Pidcock last week. denk, I don't like him.
Eventually, Lefevere was able to retain his star rider by watching him return to the pro in 2019 and become one of the 1st riders of the generation. He made his Tour de France debut in 2024, finishing third behind Tadegi Pogagnard (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Rees-a-Bike).
After the 2025 tour route was revealed last week, Evenepoel saw the Stage 5 time trial as a possible chance to take the yellow jersey, with a wider goal to repeat the podium later in the high mountains.
Soudal-QuickStep has yet to confirm its 2025 goals and grand tour plans, but lefevere suggests sprinter Tim Merlier is likely to make a roster for 2025.
Given the amount of sprint stages and the ability to compete and beat Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), the top sprinter on the tour from the past three seasons, Wuyts has decided to put Merlier and lead-out guy Bert Van Lerberghe at
"Bring Merlier and pilot Van Lerberghe home." It would be really ridiculous to leave it behind," Wuyts said. "And what about the support in the mountains' to rise against a team of rich and superstar worlds smelly is wishful thinking.
"Remco can limit damage if Pogacar and Vingegaard are taken to the last climb behind [four-man train]."
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