At Soudal-Quick Step, it's currently all hands on deck. Riders are begging for clarity as Jumbo-Visma appears to be close to a merger and/or takeover with The Wolfpack. Given this context, it's somewhat miraculous that the team managed to win not only Tre Valli Varesine (with Ilan Van Wilder) but also Gran Piemonte (with Andrea Bagioli) this week. This sentiment is echoed in the words of Davide Bramati, who spoke to IDLProCycling.com at the finish line on Thursday.
"I have nothing to do with everything we're reading now. I'm a sports director and try to do my best, and in this race, we showed who we are," begins the always passionate Italian. "We do our job, and for that, I have to thank my riders. They are very professional, including Andrea, who we know will ride for Lidl-Trek next year. I asked him to win one more race for me, as one of the Italians in our team. It's great that he succeeded."
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Andrea Bagioli won Gran Piemonte on Thursday
When asked how mentally challenging it is to keep racing in these circumstances, Bramati, in true Italian style, raises his voice. "Of course, these are difficult times because we read something different every day. However, we have no control over that. We have to show that we'll do our job until the bitter end, and then we'll see. That's why I'm also grateful to the riders and staff members who keep working hard."
According to the sports director, the team's morale hasn't suffered. "We still laugh a lot together, and the grinta is still there. We'll never lose that in this team. That Ilan and Andrea won is fantastic for us," he says with a hoarse voice. There's another race on the calendar this Saturday in the Tour of Lombardy, and Soudal-Quick Step seems very eager for it. "We'll see who the leaders are. We have a strong team; anyone can win."