Lefevere confirms departure of Alaphilippe: "He lay awake for nights and was sick of it for weeks"

The decision is made: Julian Alaphilippe will leave Soudal Quick-Step after this year. The two-time world champion has called team manager Patrick Lefevere with this news, the CEO of the Belgian formation announced in the Belgian daily newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.

"Julian called me personally this week to announce that he is leaving. He had been lying awake at night thinking about it and had been sick for weeks, as a result, but he informed me that he would leave the team," the Belgian announced. It is still unknown to which team Alaphilippe is transferring: some French teams would like him to join, but so would Tudor, among others.

Lefevere did still make his poulain, with whom he was at odds last winter, a so-called performance offer. This would mean a lower salary but high-performance bonuses. In the past, Philippe Gilbert, among others, also rode for such a contract with Lefevere's formation. Alaphilippe, however, declined after consideration and will thus race in a different jersey in 2025.

Read more below the photo.

Soudal Quick-Step is active on the transfer market

The Frenchman began his career at Quick Step in 2014 and rode for the team for 11 years. On behalf of the team, he won six stages in the Tour de France, the Vuelta, and the Giro and three times in the Flèche Wallonne, Milan-Sanremo, Strade Bianche, and Clasica San Sebastian, among others. He also became world road cycling champion in 2020 and 2021.

Meanwhile, Lefevere is keeping himself well-occupied with his recruitment for 2024. After Maximilian Schachmann confirmed the arrival of British all-rounder Ethan Hayter, Frenchman Valentin Paret-Peintre also came to the team. On the other hand, the departure of Danish classics specialist Kasper Asgreen and thus Alaphilippe, nevertheless men who have been central to Soudal Quick-Step's rider roster in recent years.