Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep are presently in discussions about forming a possible merger of the 2 WorldTour groups as quickly as 2024, in line with an unique report in Wielerflits on Sunday.
The report means that Jumbo-Visma’s managing director Richard Plugge would grow to be the CEO of the brand new programme, Jumbo-Vsima’s sports activities director Merijn Zeeman would grow to be the brand new staff’s head coach, and Soudal-QuickStep’s CEO Patrick Lefevere would grow to be a member of the brand new staff’s Supervisory Board.
It additionally signifies that any potential merger may see Remco Evenepoel, Primož Roglič , Wout van Aert, and Jonas Vingegaard grow to be teammates, main a proposed new ‘tremendous staff’.
Cyclingnews has reached out to Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep. A consultant of Jumbo-Visma advised Cyclingnews, “We by no means touch upon rumours.”
As well as, the report means that any discussions across the potential merger of Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep may have begun as early as final summer time and that the administration at Jumbo-Visma approached Soudal-QuickStep proprietor Zdenek Bakala, which led to the 2 events assembly for additional discussions in Geneva.
The report additionally states that the concept of a possible merger was supported by title sponsors Soudal and Visma. If the merger of the 2 groups is confirmed, the brand new programme would probably be registered with the UCI as both Visma-Soudal or Soudal-Visma.
Dutch grocery store chain Jumbo confirmed in June that it’s set to finish its co-title sponsorship of Jumbo-Visma after the 2024 season, if not earlier, and Plugge has been working to discover a main worldwide sponsors to switch the it. The staff was linked to Saudi Arabian Neom improvement venture, nonetheless, Plugge denied that he had any direct contact with individuals from Neom.
It’s unclear how a possible merger would have an effect on the sponsors and workers, and the riders of every staff which can be below multi-year contracts. Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep presently have a roster of 29 riders every.
Different questions stay in regards to the two groups’ respective ladies’s programmes. Jumbo-Visma’s ladies’s staff is presently led by Marianne Vos.
AG Insurance coverage-Soudal-QuickStep has grow to be a three-tier ladies’s programme that features an under-19 staff, an under-23 staff and a Continental staff that has utilized for a Ladies’s WorldTeam licence in 2024.
A consultant of Jumbo-Visma advised Cyclingnews, “I don’t anticipate a lot goes to occur with our ladies’s staff. For the remainder, we by no means touch upon rumours.”
The staff additionally advised GCN, “There have been many [rumours]… Jumbo-Visma with Neom, Ineos with Evenepoel. And now this… A number of choices are open and time will inform (quickly).”
With all of the rumours occurring relating to a possible merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Fast-Step, I took a take a look at the present mixed squad standing. (Knowledge: @FirstCycling) pic.twitter.com/PeXnPAWHgISeptember 24, 2023