Deceuninck – Quick-Step Team’s CEO shared his thoughts and expectations ahead of the 18th season in the history of the squad.
As we have just kicked off a new year that will see us race in dozens of different countries across five continents, I want to thank everybody who has been involved in and part of our vintage 2019 season – riders, staff, sponsors and fans. We scored a total of 68 wins and were prominent in the biggest races in the world – Monuments and Grand Tours – and that’s without adding the two titles conquered by our riders at the European Championships. When the line was drawn in October, we were again at the top of the World Team Classification, and that nice reward for all the hard work put in made us very proud.
Since the team’s inception, we’ve racked up close to 750 victories, but we don’t want to stop and want more. As we enter our 18th year – a performance as remarkable as the plethora of wins we have been notching up since 2003 – we are preparing for a new chapter, one which we hope will be again memorable and rewarding in terms of the quantity and quality of wins.
At the end of last year, we said goodbye to several riders who’ve had a big and unforgettable contribution to our success over the years and welcomed new ones into our family, eleven, to be more precise. It’s not something new, this is the way things go in cycling, and sports in general, but I have the greatest confidence that we possess the right combination of experienced riders who can take on the responsibility and live up to the very high expectations and pressure, and young and promising talents who have the desire of making several steps forward and helping the team.
We hope 2020 will be another beautiful year, which we start with the same enthusiasm, ambition and determination that have become traits of the Wolfpack. We also want it to be a year during which we will entertain, deliver fireworks on the road and unforgettable cycling moments, and engage with all our fans around the world, some of whom we have already met at the races, some as guests of our Wolfpack Bike Experience.
On behalf of the Deceuninck – Quick-Step Cycling Team, I want to wish you a Happy New Year and all the best to you and your families! We are looking forward to seeing you on the road for some spectacular races.
Photo credit: ©Sigfrid Eggers