Jasper Stuyven is moving to Soudal Quick-Step in a rebuild of the “Wolfpack” and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe confirmed backroom moves in more hints that the Remco Evenepoel blockbuster deal is imminent.
Stuyven is the first major announcement in the official opening of “silly season” and the August 1 trade deadline set by the UCI.
The 32-year-old Belgian, a former Milan-San Remo winner and one-day powerhouse, will leave Lidl-Trek and join Soudal Quick-Step on a three-year deal as the squad pivots back toward its classics DNA amid rising signs that Evenepoel’s departure is done.
“I’m happy at the thought that I will be a member of the ‘Wolfpack, ‘” Stuyven said in a team release. “When I started cycling, this team was one of the first I got to know, and it will be nice to be part of a Belgian-centric squad after so many years.”
Stuyven’s arrival marks a strategic pivot by the Belgian superteam as transfer season heats up with Evenepoel as the center of the hype. Dylan van Baarle and others are also linked to Quick-Step.
Also read: All the latest cycling transfers, merges, and contracts
With Evenepoel and the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe mega-deal simmering behind the scenes, Quick-Step appears to be doubling down on the classics.
Soudal Quick-Step CEO Jurgen Foré echoed the sentiment, offering a not-so-subtle signal that the team’s priorities for 2026 will center less on GC campaigns and more on classics and stage-hunting.
“Jasper is one of the best Belgian riders out there, and we are confident he will integrate easily and will strengthen our squad for the cobbled one-day races that we all love so much and where we aim to continue being among the protagonists,” Foré said. “We will also aim together at winning stages in grand tours and help Jasper realize his dream of winning a stage in the Tour de France.”
Red Bull overhauls backroom as Remco rumors swirl
There are more backroom staff changes at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, with former Belgian national coach and Evenepoel insider Sven Vanthourenhout officially joining as a DS.
The 44-year-old, who guided Evenepoel to Olympic gold and world championship success, joins the team immediately and will first work with its U23 development squad at Tour Alsace before transitioning to a WorldTour sport director role in 2026.
Infos #Mercato:
– Soudal-QuickStep officialise la signature de Jasper Stuyven pour 3 ans ! Le Belge était fidèle à la structure Lidl-Trek depuis ses débuts
– Attila Valter quitte la Visma, s’engageant pour 3 ans avec Bahrain-Victorious
– Rémi Cavagna prolonge avec Groupama-FDJ pic.twitter.com/LxzcSu0Ieu
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) August 1, 2025
“I’ve always been passionate about working with purpose and ambition, and I’m eager to contribute to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s ongoing journey,” Vanthourenhout said.
Vanthourenhout’s appointment comes just days after the departure of Rolf Aldag, and the team has also confirmed that Enrico Gasparotto is out.
The Italian, who helped guide the team’s GC rise and was instrumental in its Giro and Tour successes over the past three seasons, is reportedly set to join Movistar.
Valter to Bahrain Victorious in GC upgrade
Friday’s other major signing is Attila Valter joining Bahrain Victorious on a three-year deal.
The 27-year-old leaves Visma-Lease a Bike after three seasons and will be part of Bahrain’s grand tour reboot.
“The team’s goals are perfectly matching with my personal ones,” Valter said. “This gives me a lot of confidence and I’m excited to start this journey together with them.”
Valter’s move reflects Bahrain’s ongoing GC rebuild around rising French star Lenny Martinez.
“We are very pleased to welcome Attila to Bahrain Victorious,” said team principal Milan Eržen. “He is a rider we’ve followed for a long time and believe he has the potential to take another step forward with us. Over the next years, we see him playing a crucial role in the mountains, supporting our GC leaders while also having the freedom to chase his own results.”
Zukowsky stays put at Q36.5
Canadian Nick Zukowsky signed a two-year contract extension with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team.
“This is my third year with the team,” Zukowsky said. “It’s been growing really quickly, and it’s been incredible to see. It’s not easy to build a professional team up from the start, but we showed we belong where we are now, and it’s great fun to be part of that process.”
The Canadian, who went from freestyle skiing and mountain biking to road racing, will play a support role for the team’s GC leader Tom Pidcock.
“This year has been a big step up for the team with Tom coming over,” he said. “For me the job changed to an ‘easy job’ and that is to protect Tom so he has the best shot at winning races. Sometimes it’s about positioning early on, or maybe later in the race, or chasing breakaways. It’s very diverse and I really enjoy this new role, but it’s been a steep learning curve.”