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Following the collapse of the proposed Jumbo-Visma takeover, Soudal-QuickStep are persevering with into 2024 and the Belgian workforce have this week come collectively for his or her first team-building actions forward of the brand new season.
In a sequence of occasions in league with sponsors and companions, all the workforce – together with marquee signings Mikel Landa and Gianni Moscon, and 7 neo-pros – met up in Belgium because the planning for the brand new season begins.
The workforce had been underneath menace in late September with Dutch squad Jumbo-Visma aiming to convey Soudal on board as a title sponsor together with a number of key riders. Nevertheless, the proposed takeover collapsed two weeks later, with Soudal-QuickStep now confirmed underneath the management of Patrick Lefevere and Zdenek Bakala by way of to the tip of 2025.
Earlier this week the squad headed to Soudal’s headquarters in Turnhout for conferences, photographs and a tour of the sealant and adhesive firm’s manufacturing unit. They then met up with sister squad AG Insurance coverage-Soudal-QuickStep on the Wielsbeke headquarters of QuickStep to have fun the flooring firm’s 25 years as a biking sponsor.
The workforce then headed to the North Coastline in Oostende for a day of team-building actions on Tuesday.
Such meetups are one of many few instances within the yr the place full groups can get collectively, and so leaders akin to Remco Evenepoel, Julian Alaphilippe, Kasper Asgreen, and Yves Lampaert met with improvement workforce graduates together with Il Piccolo Lombardia champion William Junior Lecerf and Gent-Wevelgem U23 winner Gil Gelders.
The group performed a ‘crack the code’ homicide thriller recreation because the squad break up into groups of ‘runners’ and ‘thinkers’ groups, with the thinkers taking a number of checks to ship the runners to totally different areas round Oostende for them to unravel the thriller.
Pictures despatched out by Soudal-QuickStep present Bert Van Lerberghe and Tim Merlier collaborating within the enjoyable and video games in entrance of their teammates, Mattia Cattaneo engaged on a take a look at with three perplexed-looking teammates, and a blindfolded Gianni Moscon and Yves Lampaert taking directions from Kasper Asgreen.
“We had been on the lookout for a workforce constructing occasion across the time of our workforce assembly, which was held at Soudal’s workplaces in Turnhout,” workforce directeur sportif Tom Steels stated. “We’re very grateful to Meet in Oostende for his or her assist in organising this occasion, and for internet hosting on the lovely Thermae Palace lodge.
“Everyone concerned had a extremely pleasurable couple of days and we’re capable of take pleasure in a workforce spirit that we hope we will carry into the forthcoming season. It was the proper location and a incredible occasion.”
The workforce, at present at 27 confirmed riders for 2024, will get collectively once more over the winter for coaching camps in Spain. Then, their consideration will flip to the brand new season on the Tour Down Beneath, which kicks off in Tanunda on January 16.