Julian Alaphilippe admits Visma-Soudal merger rumours are 'sad' but insists riders are 'not going to cry'
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Updated 02/10/2023 at 13:28 GMT
The Visma-Soudal rumours are still the hot topic in the peloton, with French star Julian Alaphilippe bemoaning the potential loss of Soudal Quick-Step as a standalone team. It is thought the team could form as early as 2024. Alaphilippe, who boasts six stage wins at the Tour de France and two rainbow jerseys from the world road race, was speaking to Eurosport at the Coppa Bernocchi in Italy.
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Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) admits widespread reports of his team's looming merger with Jumbo-Visma are "sad", but insisted the riders were "not going to cry".
The two teams are reportedly in discussions about a potential merger as soon as 2024, meaning the likes of Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel could ride alongside Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard next season under a new Visma-Soudal brand.
Speaking to Eurosport ahead of Coppa Bernocchi, Alaphilippe said riders were in the dark over the merger and were "waiting for good news".
"We don't know much. It's a bit complicated in everyone's mind, so we're trying to stay focused on what we have to do on the race," he said.
"We hope the situation will unlock when we have news because it's a bit annoying."
Eurosport expert Philippe Gilbert has warned of "catastrophic consequences" should the merger go ahead, while former UCI president Brian Cookson has claimed it is not a good idea.
"It's sad above all. It [Soudal Quick-Step] has been a team for many years, and in the heart of cycling with a history behind it all," Alaphilippe continued.
"I find it sad, but we're not there yet. We're not going to cry. We're here to race and we're waiting for good news. We all hope, we don't know anything, but look, there you go."
Any merger would likely see a number of riders scrambling for a seat in the peloton, with the UCI capping squads at 30 riders. Jumbo-Visma currently have 26 riders under contract, while Soudal Quick-Step have 23, per Pro Cycling Stats.
One rider who will not be involved in the merger is Primoz Roglic, who confirmed he will leave Jumbo-Visma on Saturday. The Slovenian, a three-time Vuelta champion and winner of the Giro d'Italia in May, is poised to sign a bumper €6 million deal over three seasons.
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