Patrick Lefevere has announced that he will step down as CEO of the Soudal Quick-Step cycling team at the end of 2024. Lefevere’s departure marks the end of an era. In 2003, after his career as a rider and a DS with many top teams, he founded Quick-Step – Davitamon, which has since grown into Soudal Quick-Step. Under his leadership, there were hundreds of victories, including 22 monuments, 124 stage victories in Grand Tours, nineteen world titles, four European titles and in 2022, Remco Evenepoel added the first overall victory in a Grand Tour. What does the peloton think?
Patrick Lefevere wasn’t a bad rider either
His retirement will have come as a surprise to many, but the 69-year-old team boss had been thinking about it for some time. Lefevere spoke about his decision in a team press release: “I felt that it was the right time for this change.”
Lefevere with Eric McKenzie and the Capri Sonne team 1982 Tour de France
After more than 20 years as the boss of the current Soudal Quick-Step, and before that when he was a DS with Marc–Carlos–V.R.D.–Woningbouw, Capri Sonne–Koga Miyata, Lotto, TVM–Van Schilt, Domex–Weinmann, GB-MG Maglificio, Mapei–GB–Latexco, Domo–Farm Frites–Latexco and Quick-Step – Davitamon, Lefevere is stepping down. “It is a life-changing moment to leave a role that I have dedicated so much of my life to,” Lefevere stated. “Cycling is a sport that I am still very passionate about and it was a great honour to lead this wonderful team and create so many special memories, but I felt it was the right time for this change.” The role of CEO will now go to Jurgen Foré, who will take over as COO and right-hand man to Lefevere at the start of 2024. “When I started working with Jurgen a year ago, it was to ensure a smooth transition for when I eventually left. I have seen how his relationships with our sponsors and partners, as well as with the team’s internal stakeholders, have grown over the last 12 months and I know that with Jurgen as CEO and the support of the board, this team has a bright future. There are countless people to thank, far too many to mention individually, but of course there is my family, the team’s talented riders, our dedicated staff, our loyal sponsors, and all of this is underpinned by the generosity and support of our team owner, Mr Zdenek Bakala.”
Omloop het Volk – Patrick Lefevere and Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen is Not Surprised by Lefevere’s Retirement
The news that Patrick Lefevere will be retiring as team manager of the Soudal Quick-Step team was not a surprise to Tom Boonen. The 44-year-old former rider, who has a very close relationship with Lefevere, saw it coming. “Patrick told me that he didn’t have much say in the team anymore,” Boonen told Sporza.
Boonen and Lefevere
The careers of Boonen and Lefevere are inextricably linked. Boonen signed with Lefevere’s team more than twenty years ago, at the end of 2002. Under Lefevere, Boonen grew into a ‘King of the Classics’ rider and one of the top sprinters. ‘Tommeke’ won more than a hundred races, including numerous Classics, the World Championship and the green jersey in the Tour. “There is a time for everything, right? No, I’m not that surprised. Patrick told me (during a dinner) that he didn’t have much say in the team anymore. He’s also turning 70. If he wants to enjoy life a little, then the time has come. Certainly last year, with that merger and all the bombs. They were able to keep a lot internal, but it wasn’t pleasant. He got through that too, but I think he’s had enough and that he’s given enough to the sport. It’s time to rest a bit, if he feels like it. These are big shoes to fill, but I have the impression that the team is doing well.”
Peeters and Boonen
How does Boonen look back on the collaboration with Lefevere? “He was able to bring the right people together. The teammates he brought together got along well together. He is the father of the team, someone who managed with a firm hand, but who also provided sufficient warmth and conviviality. The atmosphere was truly family-like. I am very grateful that I was able to ride there all those years. I was understood and respected there. I didn’t always agree with him, he didn’t agree with me. That’s normal in such a long collaboration, but his way of working was correct. We always reached an agreement quickly and we never had to solve much between ourselves. We had a lot of respect for each other and that’s still the case.” Boonen admires the Lefevere’s management. “Patrick is one of the few people who have been at the top for so long. What he has done with a limited budget… He doesn’t have a super-big sponsor behind him for whom the sky is the limit. He has always found the money and I have a lot of admiration for that. He was responsible for eighty families and managed to get that budget every year.”
Lefevere with Johan Museeuw and Wilfred Peeters
Johan Museeuw and Wilfred Peeters Respond to the Departure of Lefevere
The departure of Patrick Lefevere as CEO of Soudal Quick-Step marks the end of an era. In 2003, Lefevere founded Quick-Step – Davitamon, which grew into Soudal Quick-Step. Lefevere worked with Johan Museeuw and Wilfried Peeters for a long time. Johan Museeuw joined Lefevere’s team in 1993 and rode for more than ten seasons under his Belgian boss. The 1996 World champion achieved his greatest successes in those years, with victories in the Tour of Flanders (1993, 1995 and 1998) and Paris-Roubaix (1996 and 2000). In the first years, Lefevere was still a DS for the Belgian team. “Later, his function became that of manager and he distanced himself somewhat from his riders,” Museeuw explained to Belga. “That was not the case during my period. We spent a lot of time together and let’s be honest, we made each other great. Patrick’s departure is a bit of an end of an era. In recent years, I often talked to him about when he was going to let go. He has done so much and all that with that pressure. After his illness, he continued to work very hard. I advised him to anticipate, but I also know that he is or will be difficult to replace.”
Classics man – World champ Johan Museeuw
What is Lefevere’s great strength according to Museeuw? “He could motivate riders and created a perfect group atmosphere,” said the ‘Lion of Flanders.’ “That typified Patrick Lefevere as a person. He was not always easy, but he did bring out the best in someone.”
Rider and DS Wilfred Peeters
Wilfried Peeters also has a long history with Lefevere. First as a rider and for the past twenty years as a sports director. The 60-year-old Peeters looks back on the long collaboration with great pleasure. “Patrick had already told me a while ago that he was going to step down as CEO of the cycling team,” he told Belga. “I didn’t believe it at first, but he kept confirming his decision. It will feel strange. He was never actually my boss. He was a friend and a second father. I have been associated with Patrick since 1993. We have experienced incredible things. A handshake from Patrick was worth as much as a signed contract. A word was a word. I believed him blindly and learned a lot from Patrick. Also how to deal with people. He was my example and I hope to continue to pass on what I learned to the riders who are with us for a while. I owe a lot to Patrick.”
Mapei domination
Niki Terpstra Praises his Ex-Boss
Following the announcement that Patrick Lefevere is stepping down, Niki Terpstra, who won the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, also spoke with praise for his ex-boss. The 40-year-old Terpstra rode for ‘The Wolfpack’ between 2011 and 2018. The best days of his career were with Lefevere, but they also helped build the most successful period in the team’s history. Something he is clearly still grateful for.
Niki Terpstra
“Enjoy your retirement, boss,” Terpstra wrote on his Instagram. “It was an honour to be part of your family, The Wolfpack, the best team in the world! Even though you could be critical, hard and straight forward at times, it was always fair. We always felt protected because you stood up for us like a real Don. I think that was one of the reasons why the team had such a strong bond. Us against the rest, supported by our leader.” Terpstra is very grateful to Lefevere. “I’d like to thank you for giving me the benefit of doubt when including me in the team, allow me to grow in my career and had trust in my leadership of the pack in my peak. It’s was an incredible time!”
The future of Soudal Quick-Step is in the hands of Jurgen Foré
What Next for the Soudal Quick-Step Team?
Patrick Lefevere is in his final days as the team manager of Soudal Quick-Step. Lefevere is handing over the baton to Jurgen Foré, who has been operational director of the team alongside Lefevere for the past year. As an honorary board member, Lefevere will remain involved in the new management. The daily management of Soudal Quick-Step will be in the hands of Foré from 2025. The 54-year-old Belgian, originally from Eeklo, will work together with major shareholder Zdenek Bakala and former legal advisor Auret Van Zyl. From the sidelines, Lefevere will also remain involved with ‘The Wolfpack’ in his role as honorary board member.
The team owner Zdenek Bakala
“I want to start by thanking Patrick for his dedication and passion in making Soudal Quick-Step the team it is today,” says team owner Zdenek Bakala in a team press release. “Patrick has often talked about the hard work of his employees and the riders, but that is encouraged by the figurehead at the top and we should not underestimate how Patrick has built a culture in which those riders and employees can thrive. However, we know that at some point everything changes and we feel that this is the right time to make these structural changes in the management of our team. With this transition, I show my commitment to the long-term future of the team and to ensuring a bright future for Soudal Quick-Step.” Jurgen Foré entered the world of consultancy in his twenties and worked for several large, multinational companies. The Belgian is certainly no stranger to the cycling world, having worked with Flanders Classics and Lotto-Dstny in the past. He also grew up in a real cycling family. His father Noël was one of the best cyclists in Belgium in the 1950s and 1960s, winning the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Gent-Wevelgem and other races.
Evenepoel and Jurgen Foré
“I am incredibly proud to take over as CEO of this historic team,” Foré, the new CEO said. “Patrick has been a figurehead in professional cycling, for whom everyone has a lot of respect and admiration. He has been able to build a solid foundation and stability that has seen this team grow for over two decades. I would like to personally thank him for the support he has given me over the last 12 months since I joined the team. I understand and feel how special this organisation is and I will do everything I can to ensure it. I will now lead this team and work to secure its long-term future. I have been involved in cycling in various roles and as part of the team’s management and I am confident that by combining this with my experience in the business world, it will enable me to build a structure that can take Soudal Quick-Step from strength to strength.”
Is Remco Evenepoel in the future of Soudal Quick-Step
What does the Future Hold for Retiring Patrick Lefevere?
After hundreds of victories, Patrick Lefevere will step down as team manager of Soudal Quick-Step on 31 December 2024. After more than twenty years, Lefevere will hand over the baton to Jurgen Foré. This marks the end of an era. Why now? “I will be 70 in January and then I will have a long story behind me. I feel it is time to stop,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “I have done enough, for myself and the team. After 45 years in cycling, it is okay. Zdenek Bakala and I made this decision together a few weeks ago. This had been simmering for a while, we did not rush into things.” Lefevere consciously chose to announce his departure before the 2025 season. “The year is over. I did not want to leave in the middle of the season. The team has expanded and become too big for me alone. Apart from a few people, no one knew about my departure. What will I miss the least? I hated flying. The search for sponsors was also not easy. Sometimes we only had certainty for one year, that is not the case now.”
Retirement awaits Patrick Lefevere
Does Lefevere know what he will do when he is no longer team manager? “I fought for this team and I certainly do not want to see it disappear. Everyone knows that I can sometimes show pit-bull behaviour when my team is touched. As far as my health is concerned, I should actually live a bit healthier. But this is just my lifestyle. Now I do plan to slow down a bit, but I will definitely stay active. I am not the person I was ten years ago. With the women, the team would have become too big for me.”
We won’t see this again
Patrick Lefevere Will Continue to Write his Column
Patrick Lefevere may no longer be the team boss of Soudal Quick-Step, but his, sometimes forthright, opinion will still be heard as he will continue to write his column for Het Nieuwsblad, which can be read weekly in the newspaper from the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad onwards. “And they are getting even better,” Lefevere told the Flemish newspaper. In recent years, the columns have been controversial several times, especially when they were about his team leader Remco Evenepoel or the fall out with Julian Alaphilippe and the latest developments in cycling. Evenepoel himself could laugh at Lefevere’s column, which he reads regularly. “Yes, every Saturday. Always an exciting moment. I hope every time that it’s not about me,” he said at the Flandrien awards gala.
Remco always reads Lefevere’s column
Lefevere recently wrote of his displeasure with the manager of the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team. Lefevere wrote that he was not happy with Ralph Denk’s attempts to buy Evenepoel away. “Do you know my friend Ralph Denk? He has done the same thing twice: he offers a contract with very high bonuses, which is not done with riders under contract. He had already done that four years ago and now again. Last week I heard that he also visited Tom Pidcock. Denk, I don’t like him.”
It will always be interesting to hear the views of Lefevere and now he doesn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing… if he ever did?
Team media day in Calpe
On a personal note, I met Patrick Lefevere on many occasions. The Belgian was good friends with the late Paul Sherwen, my old team boss. So, at many races in Belgium and the top races in the UK, we would catch up with Patrick. He was then a DS with the Domex–Weinmann team, Mathieu van der Poel’s father, Adrie was one of his riders. I also remember being at De Ronde in the 90s, I had parked up at a road junction early in the race to see the peloton pass. Patrick had also stopped there in a Mapei car, after our hellos he said, ‘meet who I have in the car’, it was Felice Gimondi. Now as a PEZ-man, I’ve only missed one Quick-Step team media day (covid year) since 2003. Patrick Lefevere – Always friendly, but always professional.
Patrick Lefevere – The end of an era
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