Remco Evenepoel's seven-year stint at Soudal-QuickStep drew to a close at the weekend, with a second place at Il Lombardia marking his final race at the team before a switch to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe for 2026.
The 25-year-old has transitioned from junior phenomenon to one of the stars of the sport during his time at the Belgian squad, with wins at the Vuelta a España, Liège-Bastogne-Liège (twice) and six world and Olympic titles filling out his palmarès.
His departure represents the end of an era for the team, which had recalibrated its roster to support Evenepoel's stage racing ambitions. Once he moves on, the prospects of Soudal-QuickStep scoring victories in Grand Tours and major races all but vanish, while the revamped team is set to turn its focus back onto the spring Classics.
After rounding out his time at Soudal-QuickStep with a second place behind Tadej Pogačar at Il Lombardia, several teammates and staff members bid goodbye to their team leader, saluting Evenepoel in conversation with Sporza.
"Remco was a winner, on and off the bike. But he was also a pleasure to work with," Louis Vervaeke said. "Remco and I got along really well. We did a lot of training camps together, and it was always enjoyable, actually."
Team doctor Steven Bex praised Evenepoel's character, saying, "Within the team, he's a very calm, pleasant guy to work with, very professional. At times, he's also demanding, but that's what you have to be as a top player."
Evenepoel will take Italian racer Mattia Cattaneo with him to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe next season, where he'll link up with the likes of Primož Roglič, Florian Lipowitz, and Jai Hindley to form another Tour de France-challenging superteam alongside UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease A Bike.
Soudal-QuickStep, meanwhile, have switched their roster-building focus back to the cobbled Classics with Evenepoel's salary off the books. Monument winners Jasper Stuyven and Dylan van Baarle have come aboard to join a squad already boasting Yves Lampaert, Tim Merlier, and Paul Magnier.
Team osteopath Anthony Pauwels called Evenepoel "a very strong character", adding that he had always been clear in what he needed from his fellow team members.
"Remco is a very strong character who really knows what he wants, but also a good person. I worked with him for seven years, and you build a special bond," Pauwels said.
"As is often the case with truly great talents, it's quite easy to work together. They're guys who can clearly express what they feel and what they need."
Team press officer Phil Lowe said that Evenepoel matured into his role as team leader since his debut as a 19-year-old in 2019 – especially in dealing with the media.
"He was usually fantastic to work with. The more mature he became, because he was very young when he started with us, and the more experience he gained, the more he understood his importance and commercial value to the team and how important it was to work with the press for his image."
Veteran teammate Pieter Serry, one of the riders to call time on his career at Il Lombardia after 15 years in the peloton, gave the last word on Evenepoel, saying their best moments together came in team training camps.
"I'm the teammate Remco has ridden the most races with," he said. "But the training camps with him were also great moments. I still remember meeting Remco during a five-hour training ride with Fabio Jakobsen, and at the end, we were feeling a bit hungry. Those are things we'll never forget.
"My favourite memory was, of course, the world championships in Wollongong three years ago, after which we were honoured on the balcony in Brussels."
