Life after Boonen for Lefevere
One can picture the scene this morning as a groggy and slightly hung-over Patrick Lefevere awakens; a night of farewells and celebrations ringing in his ears after witnessing the great Tom Boonen hang up his wheels. Now, after months of seeing the clock tick by and the inevitable juncture reached, the Quick-Step Floors boss begins the process of trying to rebuild a team both in terms of Classics leadership but also identity.
Lefevere is not the type to fall into self-help hypotheticals and as he stares back at those blurry eyes in the mirror this morning he’s hardly going to be uttering back the mantras ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life’ or 'you're a strong, confident team director' but the magnitude of this moment is pivotal for Lefevere, Quick-Step and to some extent, Belgian cycling.
It’s a complex time too. Lefevere has already insinuated that this might be his final season at the head of affairs, and with no confirmed sponsor for 2018, the veteran manager would be forgiven for waving goodbye after several decades at the top and little left to accomplish. If he decides to carry on, not only does Lefevere need to solidify the financials but he also needs to rebuild a Classics team without its talisman from the last 15 years. The Johan Musseuws and Tom Boonens of this world do not grow on trees and the easy accession from apprentice to master that took place in 2003/4 does not look like repeating itself anytime soon. Van Avermaet is tied to BMC and Belgium has no other heir apparent when it comes to Boonen’s empty throne.
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However, what we’ve seen during this campaign is that the sought after raw materials needed for Lefevere to build with are already in situ. Matteo Trentin, Niki Terpstra, Zdenek Stybar, and Yves Lampaert all have strong credentials, while the renaissance of Philippe Gilbert has been nothing short of incredible. Fernando Gaviria is not quite at the level many expected him to reach but time is still well and truly on his side.
In Paris-Roubaix, Quick-Step used all their textbook plays: building pressure on the front, isolating rivals and having numbers in all the significant splits. That they were outnumbered 2-1 against Oss and Van Avermaet, and that Boonen missed the key break were certainly telling moments, but the early loss of Terpstra ultimately altered the dynamic between the two squads, and Oss was worth two riders on the road. For Boonen fans, there was a brief cameo on the Carrefour de l'Arbre – a throwback to the gallant rides of old – but in the end, the fairytale failed to materialise. Such is life, and cycling will move on. For Lefevere, Quick-Step and Belgian cycling, that starts today. (DB)
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