Patrick Lefevere is famous for his harsh candor. Recently, Soudal Quick-Step’s manager had put himself forward for being the author of several outings against Julian Alaphilippe. The Belgian criticized, among other things, the French rider for not achieving satisfactory results given his salary: “I want it back. He owes me revenge. Julian has a champion salary, but he still needs to confirm it is. I don’t care if he’s not world champion anymore, but he hasn’t won much in recent years. Yes, he had a lot of bad luck, but the lucky ones are always the same, the unlucky ones are always the same…“
On Thursday, February 16, Patrick Lefevere gave an interview to Belgian media. by Krant van West-Vlaanderen. The Soudal Quick-Step manager has spoken on many topics, including the rise of women’s cycling. A surge in popularity that doesn’t convince the 68-year-old man for now: “I firmly and strongly believe in women’s cycling potential, don’t get me wrong. But right now it’s being pushed artificially. Take the minimum wage, for example: 60,000 euros per year on the WorldTour, the same amount as for men. Not acceptable.“However, according to the regulations of the International Cycling Union (UCI), in 2023, the minimum annual salary for riders belonging to a women’s WorldTour team (editor’s note corresponds to the highest in road cycling) will instead be €32,102. this amount should reach 35,000 Euros and 38,000 Euros in 2025.
According to Patrick Lefevere, some peloton members do not deserve to receive such salaries: “It’s fine for them, but there are runners who don’t deserve that amount at all. For example, at the Women’s Tour de France last year, they had to increase the time limit because otherwise half the peloton would have gone outside the time limit. You’re not paying $60,000 to someone who can’t keep up, right? There are certainly riders earning this amount, and some much more, but the pinnacle of women’s cycling today is not homogeneous enough to justify this minimum wage.“As he leads a thriving continental women’s cycling team, Patrick Lefevere believes the discipline needs time to evolve:”If you want to do this, do it well. Otherwise, it is better not to start. It will take time and we will have to build, but in the long run we will be at the top among women.“
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Source: Programme Television
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
