The once-mighty Classics squad that overhauled itself to hunt Grand Tour glory is losing its star Grand Tour contender. As Remco Evenepoel leaves Soudal-Quick Step for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, we are left to wonder: Where does the Belgian squad go from here?
Caley Fretz
In a statement announcing the news, the team stressed that "we will continue to strive to be a collective that is stronger than any one individual." It is the sort of sentiment you might expect from a squad that calls itself "the Wolfpack," but then, didn't this team remake itself around one individual over the past few seasons? Now that Evenepoel is moving on, Soudal has little choice but to "strive" for "collective" success in the absence of a singular talent that can contend not just in Grand Tours but in one-day races too.
On the one hand, the team has laid some of the groundwork for its post-Evenepoel future in a way that will give fans hope for a return to cobbled Classics form, and there are bright spots beyond the cobbles as well. On the other hand, the sport has changed substantially since the squad had a real contender for the races that used to be their bread and butter, and it's fair to wonder whether they can ever really get back to the dominance they once enjoyed.
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