For 2026, the Belgian structure has clearly reinforced its core of specialists. The arrivals of Jasper Stuyven, a past Omloop winner, and Dylan van Baarle, the 2022 Roubaix champion, point to a deliberate rebuild of the cobbled block. The immediate aim: to regain prominence right from opening weekend, with Omloop and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne as the first tests.
The Frenchman senses a different vibe within the team, with renewed motivation after a winter tailored specifically to one-day racing. “I think we’re all super motivated to get good results and, on top of that, we had a strong winter’s training, so I think we’re going to have a really good Classics season.”
Paul Magnier is set to become Soudal Quick-Step’s leader for the spring Classics
The weight of history
At Quick-Step, tradition matters — and helps. The accumulated experience of the sports directors and technical staff, many of them protagonists of the team’s golden era, is a strategic advantage in races where positioning and tactical reading are decisive.
“The team’s history in the Classics is also very important,” said Magnier.
“The guidance and experience of sports directors who have raced all these events, the staff… I think everyone wants to give 100% and do everything possible to get the riders into the best shape for these races. I firmly believe that, as a Belgian team with a long track record of success in these Classics, this is the best way to achieve those results.”
The feeling inside is that this revival is not a one-off gesture, but the start of a new cycle. Spring is only just beginning, but at Soudal – Quick-Step the message is clear: reclaiming dominance on the pavé is not nostalgia, it’s a priority. And, as voices inside suggest, this is only the beginning.