Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step to merge by 2024

Belgian and Dutch media are anticipating what will be the cycling news of the year. The Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step teams are about to announce their merger for 2024. From this union will come a new super team with enough financial muscle to be on a par with INEOS or UAE Emirates.

The merge between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step looks like a reality

Discussions between the two teams began in July and negotiations are so advanced that Dutch media outlet WielerFlits takes it for granted and places Richard Plugge as the CEO of the new formation, Merijn Zeeman as head coach and Patrick Lefevere on the team's Supervisory Board.

After a first meeting of Soudal Quick-Step owner Zdenek Bakala with the management of Jumbo-Visma and the approval of the main sponsors of both teams, negotiations could be accelerated for what could be the biggest merger of cycling teams.

RECOMENDADO

Do you need suspension on your gravel bike?

Black Friday 2024 for cyclists

The Van Rysel NCR CF is a best-seller in carbon and is now discounted to a price few would imagine

When do helmets have to be changed? Do they have an expiration date?

A real workout saver of only 56 min on the turbo trainer

Cycling sunglasses on the outside or inside the helmet?

There is still much information to be known, such as the name of the team itself, which could be Visma-Soudal or Soudal-Visma, but among the major issues to be resolved would highlight the future of Remco Evenepoel, who with this change could see his path smoothed towards the INEOS team despite the interest of his current team to remain in it.

It also remains to be seen whether the Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step riders, 27 and 23 respectively, will stay or leave, as well as which technical partners will remain, as Jumbo currently competes with Cervelo and SRAM, while Soudal competes with Specialized and Shimano, for example.