On Sunday night, the news spread that CEO Richard Plugge’s Jumbo-Visma team would merge with Patrick Lefevere’s Soudal QuickStep formation. In an interview with the Global Cycling Network, one of the Jumbo-Visma cyclists, who requested anonymity, revealed that the riders themselves were also surprised by the news.
No one had the information
Apparently, none of the cyclists on the Dutch team were aware of the news and only found out through social media. “I only heard about it when a teammate asked me about it. We didn’t discuss it within the team, and it’s a big surprise,” he told the international cycling platform GCN.
The concerned cyclist wonders how everything should be organized from a logistical point of view. After all, Jumbo-Visma has about 25 cyclists in its ranks, and the same applies to Soudal QuickStep.
Merger with INEOS would be possible
“If you think logically, we don’t have openings for next year. How do you bring together fifteen cyclists with Soudal QuickStep? If it were with INEOS Grenadiers, I would think it might be possible. But with us, it just isn’t possible, although you never know. It’s just my opinion. I also don’t know why the two best teams should merge. What’s the reason?” he ponders aloud.
Teams with different mentalities
“The mentality in the teams is also different. What I’ve learned at Jumbo-Visma is that they really work with the cyclists is very different. The way Richard and Patrick look at the cyclists differs enormously,” the cyclist concludes.