One of the early takeaways of the season is how unrecognisable Patrick Lefevere’s QuickStep look. It’s not just their new lead sponsor in Soudal, or the darker blue kit, or even the apparent disappearance of Julian Alaphilippe’s majesty along with his rainbow bands.
It’s their inability to stamp their previous authority on one-day races coupled with their rising menace in one-week stage races – no longer simply in the sprints but for the general classification. In short, the team’s torch for the Classics has