Following a landmark spring that has seen him win the stage among the top 20 in the Giro d'Italia and finish, Valentin Palais Paintre has made the Belgian team look to strengthen the climbing core around team leader Lemco Evenepoel with a Soudal-esque finish. QuickStep is reportedly attracting attention.

According to a report by Het Laatste Nieuws, the contract to bring the 23-year・old Frenchman to QuickStep is not official, and his Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale contract expires at the end of the season.

The 3・year-old pro Paret-Peintre is the younger brother of Aurélien, who won the Giro d'Italia stage last year. Around this time, Valentin won from the break in Stage 10 at the summit finish of Boca Della Selva, beating Romain Bardet and Jan Tratnik on the way.

He also took 2nd place in the 2nd stage from the end of the race in Montegrappa, despite being more than 2 minutes behind the Giro winner Tadei Poganyal. Last month, he finished 4th overall on a tour of the Alps.

With Soudal-QuickStep trying to build a team around Evenepoel, Paret-Peintre is seen as a strong option to strengthen the support team, including Ilan Van Wilder, Mauri Vansevenant, Mikel Landa and others.

Decathlon AG2R could see a lot of changes in the roster of stage races, and Ben O'Connor was also soon able to determine his future in the team. Austria's Felix Gall, who will lead the Decathlon AG2R at the Tour de France, took the mountain stage at Courchevel and finished 8th overall.  

Evenepoel will shortly return his race at Critérium du Dauphine (6/2-9), Landa, Van Wilder, Casper Pedersen, James Knox, Antoine Fuby,

It was his first race since the mass crash he suffered in. With Jonas Vingegaard and Primošroglić on May 4, though he says he will not be in top shape to target a high GC ahead of the Tour de France.