Lars Vanden Heede, Viktor Soenens and Gabriel Berg will ride for the team from 2024.
After Niels Driesen, three more riders have inked a two-year deal with the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team. One of these is 18-year-old Belgian Lars Vanden Heede, who has had some strong results this season, coming second in Nokere Koerse and fifth in E3 Harelbeke; following this impressive string of solid placings, he sees his future lying in the Classics.
Viktor Soenens is another exciting new talent joining the ranks of the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team. The 17-year-old Belgian won the fourth stage of the Trixxo Ster van Zuid-Limburg and had some solid outings in the one-day races. Gabriel Berg, who has shown potential on both the flat and short climbs, and won the first stage and general classification of the Coupe de France, is a young French talent, also 17 years of age.
Lars Vanden Heede: “I’m super happy I can be part of the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team. It’s an extra motivation knowing that everything will be arranged in the best way possible, and that we will have top material. I hope to keep on growing. This season I had quite some consistent results, but I'm looking for that big win. So far, I consider myself an all-rounder, but I can see myself growing into a Classics rider.”
Viktor Soenens: “It’s a very big honour, it’s a dream come true. I just want to gain experience and live nice moments. I didn’t expect to have these results, and I think I can be super happy about this season already. I already took a win and in the big classics I rode top ten. At the same time, I could race with the Belgian team, so I experienced some nice moments. At this point I think I’m an all-rounder. I started to bike when I was 12 years old; together with the school I rode to Geraardsbergen one day and I could ride up the Muur. That was the moment I knew I wanted to become a cyclist. I always find pleasure in riding my bike. I’m still in high school now, but I’m thinking of studying business management in the future.”
Gabriel Berg: “When they would ask me about my favourite team when I was younger, my answer was always Soudal Quick-Step, which is one of the best squads in the world. To join the Devo Team is unbelievable. I’m super motivated for next year, and I just hope to perform. I’m a rider for the flat and short climbs, and one of the races I like being Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.”
Team manager Bart Roosens added: “I’m incredibly delighted to work with these young talents next season. They all have the potential to develop and become better, and we will try to help them in their evolution as much as possible.”
Photo credit: ©Wout Beel
