The AG Insurance-Soudal-Quick Step team has a prime contender for the upcoming Tour de France Femmes in Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and part-owner Patrick Lefevere has high hopes for the Continental women's team.
Lefevere infamously said in 2021 that he wouldn't get involved in women's cycling because he wasn't a charity. Then, three months later he decided to back the NXTG team for 2022. The team added AG Insurance that year, then came under the Soudal-Quickstep banner this season.
At the team's Tour de France Femmes presentation in Berlare, Lefevere clarified those comments.
"Once I said: we are not the OMCW. With that, I mainly pointed to the fact that those girls only got paid a few hundred euros a month. That was not acceptable," Lefevere explained, according to Sporza.
"That's why now they all have a decent minimum wage. Our operating budget is around 2 million euros."
He added that he underestimated the complexities of running a women's programme.
"It's completely different from the men's peloton," Lefevere said. "There is really a lot involved, I underestimated it a bit. We certainly didn't want any complaints in terms of material: that's why the team has the same cars, clothing, bikes and capabilities as with the men."
AG Insurance-Soudal-Quickstep has made great strides this season, and along with bringing in Moolman-Pasio, they've gotten strong performances out of riders like Belgian Justine Ghekiere and Kiwi Ally Wollaston.
Patrick Lefevere is satisfied with the team's progress. "We are definitely not doing badly. It's a different approach from the men's team, where we win tremendously. Meanwhile, our women's team has grown from an amateur organization to the top.
The team heads to the Tour de France Femmes with Moolman-Pasio as the leader, supported by Ghekiere, veterans Romy Kasper, Lotta Henttala, young riders Julia Borgström, Spanish time trial champion Mireia Benito and Maaike Boogaard.
"Our team is promising: we can compete on any terrain," Lefevere said. "Last year there were a lot of crashes, hopefully, the girls will be spared from that this year."
Moolman-Pasio raced the Tour de France for SD Worx last year but pulled out before the final stage after falling ill. Lefevere sees her as a real challenger to her former teammate Demi Vollering and defending Tour champion Annemiek van Vleuten.
"Her level is not far below that of Van Vleuten and Vollering," Lefevere said.
"You need some luck, but you have to force that. You can't focus on those two top riders."
To compete with SD Worx, however, AG Insurance-Soudal-Quickstep will need to reinforce the roster but have already agreed on a contract extension with Moolman-Pasio.
"Ashleigh is important for us. She feels very good in the team and feels her presence is important for us. She has also extended her contract," he said.
"We have to try to stay within budget. I'm co-owner here, so then I have to pay for things out of my own pocket, and at my age, I don't like that very much. We have a scouting program and two youth teams, so there are some possibilities."
