Former Soudal-QuickStep CEO Patrick Lefevere is likely one of the maximum well known faces and names within the skilled peloton, having run the Belgian WorldTour workforce for over two decades after taking the reins again in 2003.
The Belgian, who became 70 in January 2025, have been all for biking on the most sensible stage for over 5 many years earlier than stepping down from his CEO position on the finish of the 2024 season.
Learn on for all you wish to have to learn about Lefevere, some of the a hit, influential, and arguable figures of recent biking historical past.
Racing within the 70s, directing within the 80s and 90s
Ahead of taking at the position that almost all biking fanatics know him for nowadays, Lefevere was once a racer, turning skilled in 1976 and driving for Ebo-Cinzia and Marc Zeepcentrale-Superia earlier than putting up his wheels in 1979.
He was once no slouch at the motorcycle, both, in spite of now not being some of the main stars of the day. Right through the 1978 season he beat riders together with Walter Planckaert to take the win on the Omloop der Beide Vlaanderen (now referred to as Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne), whilst later within the spring he took the most important win of his profession with a victory on degree 4 of the Vuelta a España in Valladolid.
He’d race yet one more season earlier than retiring and turning his consideration to a brand new profession as a directeur sportif, beginning out at Marc Zeepcentrale earlier than taking at the identical position at a number of different groups – Capri Sonne, Lotto, TVM, Weinmann, and GB-MG. With the latter, he directed riders together with Wilfried Peeters, Franco Ballerini, Mario Cipollini, Johan Museeuw, and a tender Davide Rebellin.
In 1995, having gained races together with the Excursion of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem (thrice), and Amstel Gold Race at GB-MG, he switched to the all-conquering Mapei squad, taking the Belgian core of Museeuw, Peeters, Carlo Bomans, and Ludwig Willems with him.
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The workforce, which melded Belgian and Italian Classics consultants in combination within the well-known jerseys that includes the brightly colored bricks of the name sponsor, would pass directly to dominate the Classics throughout the mid-to-late Nineteen Nineties.
With Lefevere on board, first as a DS, and in 1999 and 2000 as normal supervisor, the workforce would win the Excursion of Flanders two times and Paris-Roubaix 5 occasions. The triumphs on the latter integrated an remarkable 3 Mapei podium sweeps led by way of Museeuw, Ballerini, and Andrea Tafi.
Right through his time with the workforce, Mapei would rack up an out of this world 366 victories, together with a file 81 throughout the 1997 season. That file would stand till Columbia-HTC gained 85 races in 2009, whilst UAE Group Emirates equalled the file in 2024.
After surviving a most cancers scare with a pancreatic tumour in 2000, Lefevere switched groups once more the next yr, becoming a member of Domo-Farm Frites for 2 seasons. As soon as once more he made the transfer at the side of a Belgian contingent of racers, with Museeuw and Peeters available to discovered the brand new workforce at the side of Leif Hoste, Axel Merckx and extra acquainted names corresponding to Richard Virenque and Robbie McEwen.
The workforce wasn’t as dominant as MG-GB or Mapei, however as soon as once more they confirmed up big-time at Paris-Roubaix, with Servais Knaven main house Museeuw and Romans Vainšteins in every other one-two-three for Lefevere. 2002 introduced every other Paris-Roubaix victory, the 7th of Lefevere’s profession, as Museeuw soloed into the well-known Roubaix velodrome 3 mins transparent of 2d position.
Patrick Lefevere over time
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Lefevere with Johan Museeuw – who raced underneath him at GB, Mapei, Domo, and QuickStep – in 2004(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere and Tom Boonen in 2013(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere with Paolo Bettini in 2007(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere together with his long-time price, first as a racer, then as DS, Wilfried Peeters(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere with Mapei-QuickStep spouse Marc Sergeant(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere with Philippe Gilbert in 2017(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere at Domo-Farm Frites with Richard Virenque in 2001(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere had an from time to time combative and arguable dating together with his personal riders, together with Julian Alaphilippe(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere on the 2021 Excursion de France with Mark Cavendish(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere with Tony Martin in 2012(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Pictured right here in 1999, Tom Steels labored along Lefevere for many years as rider and director(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere items his maximum a hit QuickStep squad – the 73-win 2018 workforce(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere together with his final famous person, Remco Evenepoel, in 2023(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere, pictured right here in 2003, was once no stranger to talking his thoughts to the click(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere with every other titan of Belgian biking, Eddy Merckx, in 2009(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lefevere did not all the time reside as much as the nickname this cake bestowed upon him(Symbol credit score: Getty Pictures)Twenty years of remarkable luck at QuickStep
For 2003, there was once a brand new workforce – this time bringing the remnants of Domo and Mapei in combination underneath new sponsors, QuickStep-Davitamon. As soon as once more, Museeuw and Peeters joined Lefevere, the latter retiring and beginning paintings as a directeur sportif on the Belgian squad.
The likes of Paolo Bettini, a tender Tom Boonen, and the mercurial Frank Vandenbroucke additionally signed on for the journey as Lefevere introduced in combination the workforce which might outline his profession greater than any of his earlier stops.
In his position as normal supervisor and CEO at QuickStep – which lately won the nickname of ‘The Wolfpack’ – the place he dominated for 22 seasons, Lefevere has overseen a laundry record of biking superstars of the twenty first Century.
For years, his workforce was once once more referred to as the dominant drive within the spring Classics, with riders together with Boonen, Stijn Devolder, Philippe Gilbert, Niki Terpstra, Kasper Asgreen racking up 14 Flanders and Roubaix titles, amongst numerous different one-day races.
Most sensible sprinter after most sensible sprinter have additionally handed during the workforce, with Mark Cavendish, Sam Bennett, Marcel Kittel, Fernando Gaviria, Alessandro Petacchi, Elia Viviani, Fabio Jakobsen, and Tim Merlier all contributing to the most important win lists in biking yr after yr by the use of the vaunted QuickStep dash teach.
Lefevere’s forays into the Grand Excursion GC global had been much less a hit, with signings together with José Rujano and José Antonio Pecharromán failing to check the Classics and dash stars. Lately, the upward push of Remco Evenepoel, round whom the workforce has been rebuilt, has ‘solved’ Lefevere’s long-standing GC downside with wins on the Vuelta a España, a number of degree races, plus 5 Olympic and global titles.
In over 20 years as boss at QuickStep, then, Lefevere has overseen probably the most a hit biking workforce on the planet. Since 2003, the workforce has gained 981 races, a host unequalled within the game and not going to be reached by way of any unmarried workforce within the foreseeable long term.
Along with that overwhelming luck, Lefevere additionally was identified over time for his gruff and easy approach which has observed him courtroom controversy with more than a few statements about ladies’s biking and his personal riders.
In fresh seasons, Lefevere has been compelled to apologise as a way to steer clear of a fantastic for what the UCI known as “public comments considered as disparaging towards women”, whilst he had up to now stated that he was once “not a welfare centre” when requested if he may get started a ladies’s workforce.
He has additionally had a number of high-profile fallings out with a number of QuickStep riders, closely criticising a number of – together with Sam Bennett and Julian Alaphilippe – who have been scuffling with accidents and underperformance. He significantly criticised the Frenchman for being “under the influence” of his spouse Marion Rousse, whilst upon Bennett’s transfer clear of the workforce, he likened the sprinter to “women who return home after domestic abuse”.
His luck as a directeur sportif and workforce supervisor over many years of racing will most probably by no means be matched, whilst his talent to stay QuickStep operating – co-sponsors along the ever present floor corporate have integrated Davitamon, Innergetic, Omega Pharma, Etixx, Deceuninck, and Soudal – attracting main stars, and profitable on a restricted price range will have to even be applauded.
On March 5, he suffered a well being scare and was once admitted to medical institution after falling in poor health at a cafe. After spending an evening in in depth care, he returned house an afternoon later.
