With the departure of Remco Evenepoel, Soudal Quick-Step is betting in 2026 on a renewed core, focused mainly on the Flemish classics. Several proven classics specialists have been signed, as well as some familiar faces for the technical staff. Will the switch inspire Tom Boonen to take a role at his former team?
Now that Remco Evenepoel has signed a multi-year contract with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, Soudal Quick-Step must take a different approach for the coming years. Or should we say—the old approach? The team is once again primarily focusing on the classics in the upcoming seasons. With Jasper Stuyven and Dylan van Baarle, the squad has already secured two new leaders for the Spring Classics.
But CEO Jurgen Foré’s team also wants to inject new energy into the technical staff: Niki Terpstra (who celebrated his biggest successes as a rider in the Quick-Step jersey) and Sep Vanmarcke have been added as new team directors. This was reason enough for Het Nieuwsblad to reach out to Tom Boonen: has the former Quick-Step leader been approached for a role with “his” team?
"No, but Wilfried Peeters should come and talk to me," he responded. "I heard that Niki would only do the spring season, and that appeals to me as well." If Quick-Step wants to set up the spring classics team again, that definitely interests me."
"If there is a moment, it is now."
Have negotiations started yet? "No, absolutely not," Boonen responds in the latest episode of Wielerclub Wattage. "They asked if I would be interested, and I didn’t say that I want to make a comeback in any form. But I did say that if there was ever a moment in recent years, now is the moment. A fresh start is possible."
"It looks like they won’t betray their DNA," continued the co-record holder in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. "They have Paul Magnier, and he must be capable of winning Classics. I think they can take steps back to the old Quick-Step in the next two to three years."
