Soudal Quick-Step Explained

Soudal Quick-Step
Code:SOQ
Registered:Belgium
Bicycles:Specialized
Components:Shimano
Website:https://soudal-quickstepteam.com
Generalmanager:Patrick Lefevere
Discipline:Road
Status:UCI WorldTeam
Current:2024 Soudal–Quick-Step season

Soudal–Quick-Step is a Belgian UCI WorldTeam cycling team led by team manager Patrick Lefevere. The directeurs sportifs are Davide Bramati, Iljo Keisse, Klaas Lodewyck, Wilfried Peeters, Tom Steels and Geert Van Bondt.[1]

The team is nicknamed 'The Wolfpack' and has used the term in its branding since 2017.[2]

History

The team was created as Quick-Step–Davitamon in 2003 from staff and riders of Domo–Farm Frites and Mapei–Quick-Step when the latter disbanded after nine years in the sport. Paolo Bettini won the UCI Road World Cup in 2003 and 2004 as well as the 2004 Summer Olympics road title in 2004.

In the 2005 UCI ProTour season, renamed Quick-Step–Innergetic, the team won a large number of classics: Tom Boonen won Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix, Filippo Pozzato the HEW Cyclassics, and Paolo Bettini the Züri-Metzgete and the Giro di Lombardia. In late 2005 Tom Boonen won the 2005 UCI Road World Championships in Madrid, where Michael Rogers won the time-trial.

In 2006 Boonen retained the Tour of Flanders and held the yellow jersey in the 2006 Tour de France during stage 3–6, and Filippo Pozzato won 2006 Milan–San Remo. Paolo Bettini won the world championship in Salzburg and retained his Giro di Lombardia crown. In 2007 Tom Boonen won the points classification in the Tour de France, taking two stage wins. Bettini defended his world championship in Stuttgart.

In 2008 Gert Steegmans took the final stage of the 2008 Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées. Paolo Bettini retired after the world championship in Varese. In both 2008 and 2009 Stijn Devolder took the Tour of Flanders and Tom Boonen, Paris–Roubaix. After two seasons of disappointment, a resurgent Omega Pharma–Quick-Step and Tom Boonen took four major Spring classics victories, including the four cobblestone courses E3 Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix.

In October 2012, the team fired their veteran rider Levi Leipheimer after he admitted to doping in a sworn affidavit to USADA.[3] This was despite the team statement that "commended" Leipheimer for his "open cooperation" in the USADA investigation that exposed Lance Armstrong's long-term cheating in cycling via doping. The team's action was described by USADA head Travis Tygart as "The classic Omertà move, right? Actions speak louder than words. On the one hand, they say they congratulate him on coming forward, [but] their action terminating him for being truthful speaks a lot louder than their words."

CyclingNews reported in the same article that the team's claim to have only recently learned of Leipheimer's past doping was according to Tygart "absolutely not true... Leipheimer and a USADA attorney told the team months ago of the investigation, and of Leipheimer's role". Cyclingnews noted that Omega Pharma general manager Patrick Lefevere "had admitted in 2007 to having used doping products, including amphetamines, during his own career". Lefevere is still CEO of Etixx as of September 2015.

On 17 July 2014, the team announced that Iljo Keisse had been given a two-year contract extension.[4] Tony Martin confirmed via his Twitter account that he had signed a two-year contract extension.[5] On 19 August the team announced that Pieter Serry had signed a two-year contract extension,[6] on 27 August the team announced the signing of Maxime Bouet on a two-year deal[7] and on 1 September the team announced the signing of David de la Cruz on a two-year contract.[8] In 2014 Michał Kwiatkowski won a rainbow jersey in 2014 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race in Ponferrada, Spain.

In February 2015, the team announced it had signed 2015 UCI World Omnium champion, Fernando Gaviria, and fellow Colombian, Rodrigo Contreras, on two-year deals set to commence at the start of the 2016 season.[9] In August 2015, the team signed Davide Martinelli for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.[10] As of April 2021, the team has won more than 800 races, making it one of the most successful squads in history.[11] [12]

With the win in 7th stage of 2024 Tour de France, the team won stages in 12 Tour de France in a row, the longest active streak and second only to TI Raleigh with 17 (1976-1992).

Sponsorship and ownership

The team is operated by the company Decolef Lux,[13] based in Luxembourg[14] with branches in France[15] and Belgium.[16] A majority shareholder of the company is a Czech businessman Zdeněk Bakala.[17] [18] Title sponsors throughout its history have been Quick-Step Flooring, a division of Mohawk Industries, who had previously been co-sponsors of the Mapei team from 1999 to 2003.[19]

Belgian pharmaceutical company Omega Pharma had two spells as title co-sponsors (2003–07 and 2012–16), using either the company name or one of its products. Either side of its first involvement with this team, Omega were sponsors of their Belgian rivals.

Deceuninck, a manufacturer of PVC-systems windows, became the primary sponsors from 2019, with Quick-Step Floors remaining as secondary sponsor.[20] At the Tour of Flanders in 2020 and 2021, the team carried the name of a Deceuninck product line, Elegant, rather than that of the company.[21] [22] Deceuninck ended their sponsorship of the team following the 2021 season, while Quick-Step Floors extended their sponsorship until 2027.[23] In 2023 Belgian company Soudal joined as a title sponsor.

Major wins

See main article: List of wins by Quick-Step–Davitamon and its successors.

National, continental and world champions

2003
  • World Time Trial Michael Rogers
  • Italian Road Race Paolo Bettini
  • Hungarian Time Trial László Bodrogi
    2004
  • Hungarian Time Trial László Bodrogi
  • Olympic Road Race, Paolo Bettini
  • World Time Trial Michael Rogers
    2005
  • World Road Race Tom Boonen World Time Trial Michael Rogers 2006
  • World Road Race Paolo Bettini
  • Italian Road Race Paolo Bettini
    2007
  • World Road Race Paolo Bettini Italian Road Race Giovanni Visconti 2008
  • Belgian Time Trial Stijn Devolder 2009
  • Belarus Time Trial Branislau Samoilau
  • Belgian Road Race Tom Boonen
    2010
  • Belgian Road Race Stijn Devolder Belgian Time Trial Stijn Devolder Belarus Time Trial Branislau Samoilau
    2011
  • French Road Race Sylvain Chavanel
    Curaçao Road Race Marc de Maar Curaçao Time Trial Marc de Maar 2012
  • Czech Cyclocross Zdeněk Štybar
  • Belgian Road Race Tom Boonen
  • Irish Road Race Matt Brammeier
  • Netherlands Road Race Niki Terpstra
  • Polish Road Race Michał Gołaś
  • French Time Trial Sylvain Chavanel
  • German Time Trial Tony Martin
  • Slovak Time Trial Peter Velits
  • Italian Time Trial Dario Cataldo
  • Belgian Time Trial Kristof Vandewalle
  • World Team Time Trial
  • World Time Trial Tony Martin
    2013
  • Czech Cyclocross Zdeněk Štybar French Time Trial Sylvain Chavanel
  • German Time Trial Tony Martin
  • Slovak Time Trial Peter Velits
  • Polish Road Race Michał Kwiatkowski
  • British Road Race Mark Cavendish
  • Belgian Time Trial Kristof Vandewalle
  • World Team Time Trial
  • World Time Trial Tony Martin
    2014
  • World Cyclocross Zdeněk Štybar
  • Polish Time Trial Michał Kwiatkowski
  • German Time Trial Tony Martin
  • Czech Road Race Zdeněk Štybar
    World Road Race Michał Kwiatkowski 2015
  • Colombian Time Trial Rigoberto Urán
  • German Time Trial Tony Martin
  • Czech Road Race Petr Vakoč
  • Netherlands Road Race Niki Terpstra
    2016
  • World Track (Omnium) Fernando Gaviria
  • German Time Trial Tony Martin
  • Luxembourg Time Trial Bob Jungels
  • Luxembourg Road Race Bob Jungels
  • World Team Time Trial
  • World Time Trial Tony Martin
    2017
  • New Zealand Time Trial Jack Bauer
  • Belgian Time Trial Yves Lampaert
  • Czech Road Race Zdeněk Štybar
  • Luxembourg Road Race Bob Jungels
    2018
  • Belgian Road Race Yves Lampaert
  • Luxembourg Time Trial Bob Jungels
  • Italian Road Race Elia Viviani
  • Danish Road Race Michael Mørkøv
  • Luxembourg Road Race Bob Jungels
  • World Team Time Trial
    2019
  • Argentine Road Race Maximiliano Richeze
  • Danish Time Trial Kasper Asgreen
  • Luxembourg Time Trial Bob Jungels
  • Luxembourg Road Race Bob Jungels
  • Netherlands Road Race Fabio Jakobsen
  • Danish Road Race Michael Mørkøv
  • European Time Trial Remco Evenepoel
  • European Road Race Elia Viviani
  • European Track Championships (Madison) Michael Mørkøv
    2020
  • New Zealand Road Race Shane Archbold
  • World Track Championships (Madison) Michael Mørkøv
  • Luxembourg Time Trial Bob Jungels
  • French Time Trial Rémi Cavagna
  • Danish Time Trial Kasper Asgreen
  • Danish Road Race Kasper Asgreen
  • World Road Race Julian Alaphilippe
    2021
  • Belgian Time Trial Yves Lampaert
  • Danish Time Trial Kasper Asgreen
  • Czech Republic Time Trial, Josef Černý
  • Portuguese Time Trial João Almeida
  • French Road Race Rémi Cavagna
  • World Road Race Julian Alaphilippe
  • World Track Championships (Madison) Michael Mørkøv
    2022
  • Belgian Time Trial Remco Evenepoel
  • French Road Race Florian Sénéchal
  • British Road Race Mark Cavendish
  • European Road Race Fabio Jakobsen
  • World Road Race Remco Evenepoel
    2023
  • French Time Trial Rémi Cavagna
  • Danish Time Trial Kasper Asgreen
  • Belgian Road Race Remco Evenepoel
  • World Time Trial Remco Evenepoel

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Staff. Etixx–Quick-Step. 26 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20161212054138/http://www.etixx-quickstep.com/en/team/staff. 12 December 2016. dead.
    2. Web site: The story behind Quick-Step's 'Wolf Pack'. VeloNews. April 2018. 5 December 2020.
    3. Web site: Tygart: Code of silence claimed Leipheimer. 17 October 2012. Cycling Weekly.
    4. Web site: Two-year extension for Keisse at Omega Pharma-Quick Step. Cycling News. Cyclingnews.com. 17 July 2014.
    5. Web site: Tony Martin on Twitter. Twitter.
    6. Web site: Home – Etixx–Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team. Sanmax Consultancy BVBA. omegapharma-quickstep.com. 19 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140903091700/http://www.omegapharma-quickstep.com/en/news/show/opqs-extends-contract-with-pieter-serry/1898. 3 September 2014. dead.
    7. Web site: Maxime Bouet signs for Omega Pharma-QuickStep. Daniel Benson. Cyclingnews.com. 27 August 2014.
    8. Web site: Transfers: Omega Pharma–QuickStep signs David de la Cruz. Stephen Farrand. Cyclingnews.com. 1 September 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140904033752/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/transfers-omega-pharma-quickstep-signs-david-de-la-cruz. 4 September 2014. dead.
    9. Web site: Gaviria signs two-year deal with Etixx–QuickStep. Barry Ryan. Cyclingnews.com. 24 February 2015.
    10. Web site: Davide Martinelli. ProCyclingStats. procyclingstats.com.
    11. Web site: Deceuninck - Quick-Step take 800th win. Deceuninck - Quick-Step. deceuninck-quickstep.com/en/news/4858/mark-cavendish-nets-deceuninck-quick-step-s-800th-victory.
    12. Web site: Deceuninck - Quick-Step take 801st win. Deceuninck - Quick-Step. deceuninck-quickstep.com/en/news/4870/mark-cavendish-takes-his-150th-pro-win.
    13. Web site: team. Deceuninck-Quick-Step Cycling. Disclaimer Deceuninck – Quick-Step Cycling team. 2020-08-30. www.deceuninck-quickstep.com. en.
    14. Web site: DECOLEF LUX. s.à r.l.. 2020-08-30. opencorporates.com.
    15. Web site: DECOLEF LUX. 2020-08-30. opencorporates.com.
    16. Web site: Decolef Lux SARL Belgian Branch. 2020-08-30. opencorporates.com.
    17. Web site: Transactions – TMA Partners. 2020-08-30. en-GB.
    18. Web site: Boonen en co blijven bij Decolef. 2020-08-30. Het Nieuwsblad. nl-BE.
    19. Web site: Quick-Step sponsors professional cycling. 2021-04-14. Flooring-QS-United-Kingdom. en-GB.
    20. Web site: Quick-Step add Deceuninck as new title sponsor for 2019. 8 October 2018. cyclingnews.com.
    21. News: Deceuninck-Quick-Step to race as Elegant-Quick-Step for the Tour of Flanders. VeloNews. Pocket Outdoor Media Inc.. 12 October 2020. 8 April 2021.
    22. News: Barry. Ryan. Lefevere optimistic about Deceuninck-QuickStep sponsorship talks. Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 3 April 2021. 8 April 2021. Lefevere was speaking in a video conference with the Deceuninck-QuickStep squad ahead of the Tour of Flanders, where world champion Alaphilippe lines up at the head of a team, rebranded as Elegant-QuickStep on Sunday [...].
    23. Web site: Deceuninck-QuickStep secures a longterm deal with one sponsor as another is set to leave. Dane. Cash. CyclingTips. Outside Interactive, Inc.. 18 May 2021. 18 May 2021. While QuickStep will stay on board with the team, Deceuninck will call time on its partnership with the team after this season..

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