The AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step team has a strong contender for the Tour de France femme in Ashley Moolman Pacio, and part-owner Patrick Lefevere has high hopes for the Continental women's team.

Lefebvre was infamous in 2021 for saying he would not be involved in women's cycling because he was not a charity. Three months later, he decided to support the 2022 NXTG team. The team added AG Insurance that year and this season came under the Soudal-Quickstep banner.

Lefebvre made these comments clear during the Tour de France Femme presentation in Berlare.

"I said it once. These women were paid only a few hundred euros a month. That was unacceptable," Lefebvre explained.

"So now all of these women are paid a decent minimum wage. Our operating budget is about 2 million euros."

He added that he had underestimated the complexity of running a program for women.

"It's very different from the men's peloton. 'There's really a lot involved. So the teams have the same cars, clothes, bikes, and abilities as the men."

AG Insurance Soudal-Quickstep has made great progress this season and, in addition to the addition of Mourman Pasio, has drawn strong performances from riders such as Belgian Justine Géquière and Kiwi Allie Wollaston.

Patrick Lefebvre is pleased with the team's progress. He said, "We're certainly not in bad shape. We have a different approach than the men's team, and we are winning tremendously. The women's team, on the other hand, has grown from an amateur organization to a top team.

The team is led by Mourmain-Pasio and supported by Géquière, veterans Romy Kasper and Lotta Häntala, young Julia Borgstrom, Spanish time trial champion Mireia Benito, and Maaike Boogaard, Tour de France Femme.

"Our team is a promising team that can compete on any terrain," Lefebvre said. Last year we had a lot of crashes, but hopefully this year the girls will be spared from them."

Mourmain-Pasio competed in the Tour de France last year with SD Works, but she became ill and retired before the final stage. Lefebvre sees her as a real challenger to former teammate Demi Vollaring and Tour champion Annemiek van Fruten.

"Her level is not far behind Van Vleuten and Vollaring.

"You need some luck, but you have to force it. We can't concentrate on those two top riders."

"We can't concentrate on those two top riders.

However, to compete with SD Walks, AG Insurance-Sudar-Quick Step needs to bolster its roster, but has already agreed to a contract extension with Moolman-Pasio.

"Ashley is important to us. Ashley is important to us. She has extended her contract as well."

"We have to stay within our budget. I am a co-owner here, so I have to do things with my own pocket money. We have a scouting program and two youth teams.