Patrick Lefevere remains a man with a strong opinion about the course, even though he has now retired as CEO of Soudal Quick-Step for more than a year. But he also made mistakes in the past. For example, he missed out on Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel.
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Jab towards Van Aert
Van Aert was discussed around 2019, when he wanted to terminate his contract with Nick Nuyens’ team. Lefevere contacted the Kempen resident, but he did have one condition: “He had a contract. I told him: ‘Buy your freedom and then you are welcome. Because we want you.'” Unfortunately, Van Aert chose a different path.
“He didn’t do it and went to Jumbo-Visma. But then there was that lawsuit with the fine. I have nothing against Wout, on the contrary,” Lefevere is already creating a teaser for what is to come.
“But I hope that the people who do not respect the regulations will also pay,” Van Aert sounds quite sharp. That wasn’t exactly his idea. Van Aert went to court against his previous employer, where Nuyens was right. Van Aert had to pay 662,000 euros after a 6-year procedural battle.
Van der Poel refused
And then there was that other superman: Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman was offered Lefevere directly from his father Adrie, a good friend of Lefevere.
“I told one man that I still had a talent. He didn’t respond to it. He still regrets it, since the moment I told him that until now,” Van der Poel Sr explains to Sporza.
“I then offered Mathieu on a silver platter. Christoph (Roodhooft, ed) immediately accepted. I wanted to buy bicycles from him, he gave them to us for free. And we have had them year after year.”
