Bruyneel thinks, partly because of Roglic, Evenepoel will leave for Red Bull after all: "Deal was almost done"

Remco Evenepoel will also ride for Soudal Quick-Step in 2025. The 24-year-old Belgian can thus continue his quest for new successes in blue, which he put together in 2024. Maybe challenging Tadej Pogacar that's what Evenepoel is concerned about. However, if we can believe Johan Bruyneel, the time trialist, would have been with another team.

In TheMove, he addressed several issues in the cycling world, where the transfer that seemed to be an option for a long time was discussed. "I heard some things from people; they are rumors, I must add. It's not confirmed, but I heard that the deal between Evenepoel and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was already done. There were even lists for all the clothing sizes and suits, and he was among them," it sounds pretty unexpected.

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Evenepoel bolts across the finish line after the Tour of Lombardy

"That meeting fell through at the last minute"

So, the transfer would have been very close if not because certain forces stopped the Belgian transfer, after all. "There was a meeting at Red Bull's headquarters in Austria, and it fell through at the very last minute. Someone must have stopped it, whoever that may have been. Meanwhile, I see a motivated Remco Evenepoel, who is eagerly looking forward to next season."

Bruyneel is still critical of Evenepoel, though. The latter has said he will stay where he is, including the next few years. So it struck the former team manager of Lance Armstrong as if Evenepoel's contract had been extended. "He should have communicated he would sit out his current contract. Will he stay another year or come to the Red Bull team only after 2026? Primoz Roglic will also be a lot older by then," said Bruyneel, who also finds the rumors about Sven Vanthourenhout coming to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe interesting.

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