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Following the cave in of the proposed Jumbo-Visma takeover, Soudal-QuickStep are proceeding into 2024 and the Belgian staff have this week come in combination for his or her first team-building actions forward of the brand new season.
In a chain of occasions in league with sponsors and companions, all of the staff – together with marquee signings Mikel Landa and Gianni Moscon, and 7 neo-pros – met up in Belgium because the making plans for the brand new season starts.
The staff were beneath risk in past due September with Dutch squad Jumbo-Visma aiming to deliver Soudal on board as a identify sponsor together with a number of key riders. Alternatively, the proposed takeover collapsed two weeks later, with Soudal-QuickStep now showed beneath the management of Patrick Lefevere and Zdenek Bakala thru to the tip of 2025.
Previous this week the squad headed to Soudal’s headquarters in Turnhout for conferences, pictures and a excursion of the sealant and adhesive corporate’s manufacturing unit. They then met up with sister squad AG Insurance coverage-Soudal-QuickStep on the Wielsbeke headquarters of QuickStep to have a good time the floor corporate’s 25 years as a biking sponsor.
The staff then headed to the North Beach in Oostende for an afternoon of team-building actions on Tuesday.
Such meetups are some of the few instances within the yr the place complete groups can get in combination, and so leaders similar to Remco Evenepoel, Julian Alaphilippe, Kasper Asgreen, and Yves Lampaert met with building staff graduates together with Il Piccolo Lombardia champion William Junior Lecerf and Gent-Wevelgem U23 winner Gil Gelders.
The gang performed a ‘crack the code’ homicide thriller sport because the squad cut up into groups of ‘runners’ and ‘thinkers’ groups, with the thinkers taking a number of checks to ship the runners to other places round Oostende for them to resolve the thriller.
Footage despatched out by way of Soudal-QuickStep display Bert Van Lerberghe and Tim Merlier collaborating within the amusing and video games in entrance in their teammates, Mattia Cattaneo running on a take a look at with 3 perplexed-looking teammates, and a blindfolded Gianni Moscon and Yves Lampaert taking directions from Kasper Asgreen.
“We have been in search of a staff constructing tournament across the time of our staff assembly, which was once held at Soudal’s places of work in Turnhout,” staff directeur sportif Tom Steels stated. “We’re very thankful to Meet in Oostende for his or her assist in establishing this tournament, and for webhosting on the stunning Thermae Palace resort.
“Everyone concerned had a truly relaxing couple of days and we’re in a position to revel in a staff spirit that we are hoping we will elevate into the impending season. It was once the very best location and an out of this world tournament.”
The staff, lately at 27 showed riders for 2024, gets in combination once more over the iciness for coaching camps in Spain. Then, their consideration will flip to the brand new season on the Excursion Down Below, which kicks off in Tanunda on January 16.
