Quick-Step doctor critical of Evenepoel's father role: "Without him, Remco would have stayed"

Yvan Vanmol, team doctor of Soudal Quick-Step, spoke critically about the role of Patrick Evenepoel, father and manager of Remco Evenepoel, on the podcast Stamcafé Koers by Het Nieuwsblad. "That caused a lot of pain," Vanmol said regarding statements made by Patrick Evenepoel.

After last season, Evenepoel left Soudal Quick-Step for a new challenge with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. Vanmol still regrets that move. "We had to say goodbye to him and that hurt a lot of people. When someone has been part of the team for so long, but the people around him tell him it’s better to go elsewhere, then that’s the end of the story," the team doctor explained.

According to Vanmol, Patrick Evenepoel was the one who pushed his son to leave the Belgian squad. "Remco was happy with us. If his manager hadn’t constantly applied pressure, he would have stayed. That manager is his father, Patrick. What bothers me most is that he portrayed our team as second-rate, which is absolutely not true," the Belgian said.

Praise for Remco Evenepoel
Vanmol reveals that Patrick Evenepoel’s remarks caused a lot of bad blood within his team. "That caused a lot of pain. As a result, many people inside the team now say it’s good that Remco left." However, Vanmol has nothing negative to say about the double Olympic champion. "As a person, I have nothing bad to say about him. He is grateful and polite."

Evenepoel is sometimes criticized for his attitude, but Vanmol actually appreciates those traits. "His reactions sometimes resemble those of a footballer. That’s not always appropriate in the peloton, but the fact that he openly expresses his thoughts and ambitions is something I really value. You should not be falsely modest, especially not when you have achieved as much as he has," he concluded.