“Johan Bruyneel made a statement on social media in response to the upcoming merger between the Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step teams, which had been kept secret in recent months. The former leader of the Belgian national team not only clarified the situation but also addressed some of the questions that arose from the news.
“If the merger really goes ahead, no one with a valid contract will be left out on the street,” Bruyneel emphasizes. Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step currently have 50 cyclists under contract for 2024, while the maximum is 30 riders per team.
“The teams will have to find a solution. At the very least, pay the remainder of the contract and find another team willing to take on a cyclist at no cost… Otherwise, the UCI will not give the green light for the merger,” says the former sports director of US Postal, Discovery Channel, and Astana.
Freedom of choice for some riders
“I would also like to add that any cyclist who has a contract with one of these teams and does not want to be part of this merger should be free to move to another team. For them, the current team cannot prevent it because, in that case, the team with which the rider has a contract will cease to exist,” said Bruyneel.”
In another social media post, Bruyneel responds to the WorldTour license that could be made available if the merger is finalized. “My expectation is that a ProTeam, willing to take this step, will purchase the license from one of the two merged teams. In that case, I think Jumbo-Visma will retain the license, and Soudal Quick-Step will sell theirs.”