Max Schachmann is set to rejoin Soudal-QuickStep in 2025 after agreeing to a two-year contract with Patrick Lefevere’s team. The German cyclist originally began his professional journey with QuickStep in 2017 before moving to Bora-Hansgrohe in 2019.
“I am happy to get the opportunity to come back home and ride again for Soudal-QuickStep, the team I started my career with,” Schachmann said on Friday. “I know many of the people there, I have a lot of friends after all these years and I’m looking forward to returning and continuing to develop.”
Schachmann enjoyed significant early success with QuickStep, including a notable performance at Flèche Wallonne and a stage win at the Giro d’Italia in 2018. His achievements caught the attention of Bora-Hansgrohe, where he has raced for the past five seasons.
The 30-year-old had a strong start with Bora-Hansgrohe, securing three stage wins at Itzulia Basque Country and a podium finish at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2019. He also won the overall title at Paris-Nice in both 2020 and 2021. However, his momentum was hindered by a series of illnesses in the subsequent seasons.
Schachmann’s talent was on display at this year’s Giro d’Italia, where he narrowly missed out on the maglia rosa in Turin. He hopes to continue building on his performance when he returns to QuickStep in 2025.
“I had two great years with the squad as I was beginning to learn the trade, and when presented with the opportunity to come back, I had a really good gut feeling that convinced me to make this move,” Schachmann said. “I’m really excited about this and I can’t wait to start next season.”
Patrick Lefevere expressed his confidence in Schachmann’s abilities, stating, “Max Schachmann is a very good and versatile rider who still has plenty to show in the sport, and we are confident he can do that as part of our squad.” He added, “We have a lot of beautiful memories from his first pro years in the squad.”
Schachmann is the first signing Soudal-QuickStep have announced for 2025, but more changes to their roster could be on the horizon. Riders like Julian Alaphilippe and Kasper Asgreen have contracts that expire at the end of this season for instance.
