The cycling world was sent into a frenzy last month as rumors swirled of a mega-merger between two of the sport’s top teams, Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step.
According to Dutch and Belgian press, discussions between the managing director at Jumbo-Visma, Richard Plugge, and the general manager of Soudal Quick-Step, Patrick Lefevre, began earlier this year about the two teams merging as early as the 2024 season.
That all came tumbling down in the last week, and the merger between the two teams has reportedly been called off.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into what a merger for the two teams would have looked like, why this merger was being considered, the reasons for its fallout, and what happens now for both teams.
What would the mega-merger have looked like?
First things first, the newly formed team would have to take on, and at some point sell, their second UCI license. This would include the parent company’s assets and liabilities.
The biggest issue would have been rider and staff contracts that are already signed through 2024.
Here is where things get interesting.
Each team currently has 29 riders each. UCI rules limit each team to a maximum of 30 riders (including two neopros), meaning the new super squad would be looking to eliminate 20-30 contracts.
It would be likely that the new Soudal-Visma team would allow riders to break their contracts at no fee to go to a new team. To avoid having to pay a rider full salary while sitting at home for a year, they may even continue to pay partial salary while the rider races for a new team.
This would allow the team to get out of paying some highly paid riders who do not want to be part of the merger and ease a significant financial burden.
What’s even more challenging in these types of mergers is maintaining team ethos and chemistry. Although it may make sense on paper, there is a high chance it would create teething problems as delicate team balances and dynamics are adjusted.
Why was a Jumbo-Visma/Soudal Quick-Step merger ever on the cards?
The most notable reason why Jumbo-Visma would look to merge with Soudal Quick-Step is the departure of title sponsor Jumbo at the end of 2024.
Jumbo CEO Ton van Veen announced earlier this year that at the end of 2024, they will not be renewing their title sponsorship of Jumbo-Visma or Formula 1’s Max Verstappen.
Van Veen said the sponsorship had created a lot of brand awareness, but feels they have won everything there is to be won.
The sponsorships will be respected until the end of 2024; however, Van Veen also said that if another sponsor were to take over before then, Jumbo would be content to back out.
Jumbo-Visma has yet to find another sponsor to replace departing Jumbo. Although discussions have happened with some major companies, such as Amazon, nothing has yet come to fruition.
A merger with Soudal Quick-Step would be a financial guarantee for the team.
However, Geraint Thomas of INEOS Grenadiers was cynical when discussing Jumbo-Visma’s sponsorship hunt.
“[Jumbo-Visma] need a new sponsor, but how can they not find one when they have just won three Grand Tours, two Tours de France in a row, and have the best racers in the world?”
Why did the Visma-Soudal merger collapse?
Many riders have expressed their frustrations at the talks of a merger between the two teams.
Last week, Ilan Van Wilder of Soudal Quick-Step won at Tre Valli Varesine in Italy. When speaking to the press after his victory, Van Wilder made it clear he was not pleased with the idea of the two teams merging.
“This victory is for our staff and my teammates, to show we don’t agree with all this s**t, and we want to continue Soudal-QuickStep.
“We are strong enough, and I hope it will [continue to] be like this.”
Van Wilder is not the only Soudal Quick-Step rider to speak out against the merger. Wielerflits reported that only six riders from the 29-rider team were on board and willing to make the jump over to Jumbo-Visma.
Nothing has been disclosed from the administrative side as to why the merger would not happen. Remco Evenepoel and his teammates were left in the dark during the process, not knowing the direction of the team until the press reported on it.
“All we can do is wait and see, and hope it ends well. What comes to us in the next ten days or two weeks, we can’t estimate.” Evenepoel said at the time of the original merger reports.
What now for Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step?
With transfer season in full swing, Primož Roglič’s departure from Jumbo-Visma is one of the biggest changes. Roglic, winner of the Giro d’Italia this year, will head to BORA-hansgrohe in pursuit of a guaranteed leadership role in the Grand Tours.
Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard will remain on Jumbo-Visma for the 2024 season as he’ll look to be the team’s main GC contender at the Grand Tours.
Vuelta a España winner and crowd favorite Sepp Kuss will also remain at Jumbo-Visma. He will continue to be a loyal domestique to Vingegaard, but after a standout performance at the Vuelta, Jumbo-Visma could also put him in a GC position.
At Soudal Quick-Step, Remco Evenepoel will remain as the team’s main GC rider, targeting the Grand Tours for the 2024 season.
Spanish climber Mikel Landa signed a two-year deal with Soudal Quick-Step after spending four years at Bahrain Victorious. Landa’s role will be to strengthen the supporting cast around Evenepol’s GC ambitions at Grand Tours.