Ineos Grenadiers are exploring a transfer of Remco Evenepoel, with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team principal Patrick Lefevere and the Belgian’s father refusing to dampen the speculation.
Ineos chief Dave Brailsford texted Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team’s manager Patrick Lefevere asking if he wants to sell Evenepoel following his recent successes.
“It’s simple,” Lefevere said. “Dave Brailsford texted me, and he doesn’t text much. He said, ‘Congratulations, what a champion, and if you want to sell him one day, give me a call.’ That was it. No more and no less.”
When asked whether Brailsford might have been joking, Lefevere continued: “You can’t see if someone is joking on WhatsApp. There was no smiley, no special face. Just a few words. Other colleagues just congratulated me, but if Dave wants him he probably needs a lot of money.”
Having seen it’s grand tour dominance overshadowed in the last few years, the British team feature a budget of around €50 million euros.
With the team being funded by a multi-billionaire, there is no knowing how far the team is willing to go to try and break Evenepoel’s contract. The 22-year old is currently signed with Quick-Step until 2026 in what is one of the longest-binding contracts in the peloton.
