Deceuninck-QuickStep manager Patrick Lefevere has told the Belgian media that Bora-hansgrohe has finally agree to let Sam Bennett leave the team.
The Belgian cycling boss says while the formalities that
complete Bennett’s transfer to Deceuninck-QuickStep are not yet in place, the
only impediment to the move has now been cleared.
Lefevere said as far back as the Tour de France that he
had an agreement with Sam Bennett for the Irishman to move to the Belgian team
for 2020.
At that point he said the agreement was a verbal one,
which he expected would become a written contract the following month, August.
However, it soon emerged that Bora-hansgrohe was
insisting behind the scenes that Bennett had entered into an agreement to stay
with the team for next season.
Bennett had made no secret of his desire to move on and
he did not believe he had any such agreement for 2020 with the German team.
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That stalemate has continued for several months and
Lefevere said just last week that he still wanted Bennett but Bora-hansgrohe
was still insisting it had an agreement with him for 2020.
However, in the Belgian media today Patrick Lefevere is expressing his delight, saying Bora-hansgrohe has relented and that he is now free to complete the Bennett signing as planned.
"It would be a shame for that boy if he could
not come to his dream team,” Lefevere said of Bennett now being free to come to
Deceuninck-QuickStep.
“Of course you are only certain when you have a
signed contract in your hands. But ... yes, it is about to finish. And it is a
good thing too because the case has been dragging on for so long.
“I suspect they will have waited as long as
possible at Bora-Hansgrohe to make Bennett nervous so that he would pay.
“But that in the end they realise that you can't
do much with a rider you want to keep against his will. So I'm in happy
expectation.”
We’ll bring you are further news when we have it
but according to Patrick Lefevere, the transfer is on and is
about to be concluded.
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