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Deceuninck-Quickstep team boss Patrick Lefevere has said his star from last year’s Giro, João Almeida, and the team co-leader on the 2021 edition is set to leave the team at the end of this year.
The 22-year-old from Portugal only joined the team at the
start of last year, on a two-year deal, having been with US-based
ProContinental team Hagens Berman Axeon for two years before that.
However, while Almeida led the Giro for 15 days last year and is co-leader of the team this year, with Remco Evenepoel, he is set to leave at the end of this season, according to his team boss.
Lefevere has also appeared to confirm reports that first surfaced in the South American media two weeks ago that Sam Bennett is about to leave Deceuninck-Quickstep. The Irish sprinter has been linked with a move back to his former team, Bora-hansgrohe.
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Lefevere writes a column every weekend in Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad and in his article published yesterday he said Almeida was leaving the team. He added he was not very happy at the way the young Portuguese rider’s agent had conducted the contract talks.
"Nobody should believe me but I really don't care whether I win the Giro with a Belgian or a Portuguese,” Lefevere said of having Evenepoel and Almeida as team co-leaders at the Giro.
“Anyone who knows me knows that the jersey of the team is
important to me, not the flag or the country.
"The contract situation is also very different:
Remco Evenepoel has signed for five years, João Almeida will leave our team
next year. His manager has shown relatively little respect in the
negotiations."
Recently Deceuninck-Quickstep has announced a number of
long-term deals with some of its best known riders; Evenepoel signing for five
years, world champion Julian Alaphilippe signing for three more years and Tour
of Flanders winner Kasper Asgreen also signing for three more seasons.
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