{"id":939932,"date":"2026-10-20T10:28:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T10:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/939932\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T10:28:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T10:28:15","slug":"soudal-quick-step-pro-cycling-team-79","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/939932\/","title":{"rendered":"Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Soudal Quick-Step and AG Insurance &#8211; Soudal are pleased to announce a number of new technical partnerships for 2027, as part of the teams\u2019 continued drive to provide our riders with the highest level of equipment and technical support.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"Media-image lazyload\" width=\"auto\" height=\"900\" alt=\"\" data- data-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Banner_Partnerships2027.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The new partnerships are the result of an extensive research and evaluation process undertaken by the teams\u2019 management and performance staff, with the technical assessment led by Head of Technical &amp; Development Nicolas Coosemans and Head Coach Koen Pelgrim. Attention was paid not only to the quality and performance of each product, but also to how it complements the equipment and expertise provided by our existing partners such as Castelli and Shimano, and how proposed partners would help the team reach its sporting goals.<\/p>\n<p>Products were extensively tested and assessed in controlled environments, including wind-tunnel testing, as well as in real-world \u2018on the road\u2019 conditions. This rigorous approach ensures that every element of the teams\u2019 technical package has been selected to help our riders perform at the highest level.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Quote-blockquote-text u-text-h3 u-font-title\">We look forward to beginning these new partnerships and being able to show you exactly what we have been working so hard to deliver.<\/p>\n<p>Jurgen For\u00e9, CEO<\/p>\n<p>The new line-up is led by Merida, who will provide the team with their bikes for the next four years, with an option to extend beyond 2030. Founded in 1972, Merida has grown from its roots in Taiwan to become one of the world\u2019s leading bicycle manufacturers, combining more than five decades of experience in bicycle production with a strong focus on innovation and performance. With racing in their DNA and highly developed bikes like the test- and award-winning REACTO and the air-slicing TIME-WARP at the ready, their team is all set to support our endeavour with their sophisticated products and wealth of expertise. Today, Merida\u2019s approach brings together research, design and development in Germany with extensive engineering and manufacturing expertise in Taiwan.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"Media-image lazyload\" width=\"auto\" height=\"1076\" alt=\"\" data- data-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSC08779.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>At the heart of Merida\u2019s philosophy is a commitment to research and development, with performance driven by extensive testing and continual refinement. Its engineers work across areas including aerodynamics, weight, stiffness, handling and rider comfort, looking not simply at individual components but at how the complete bicycle can help a rider perform more efficiently. This approach has produced race-winning bikes at the highest level of professional cycling and an established record of using feedback from professional riders and teams to drive further development. From 2027, we will work closely with Merida, combining their technical expertise with feedback from our riders and performance staff, with a focus on providing our riders with world-class equipment.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"Media-image lazyload\" width=\"auto\" height=\"900\" alt=\"\" data- data-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Shimano.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Merida\u2019s bikes will be built around components from the teams\u2019 long-term partner, SHIMANO. Close collaboration with our teams has helped SHIMANO develop and refine its products at the highest level of professional cycling. We will continue to use SHIMANO DURA-ACE drivetrains and pedals. The partnership will also enter a new phase as they begin racing on the latest DURA-ACE C36, C50, C60, C99, and Disc wheelsets, providing a full suite of options for all racing conditions.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"Media-image lazyload\" width=\"auto\" height=\"1638\" alt=\"\" data- data-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSC08816.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>These wheels will be fitted with tyres from Continental, who also join the team from the start of 2027. Often a byword for quality, Continental have been making pneumatic bicycle tyres since 1892 and have led the market in terms of research and development ever since. The team at Continental have also played an integral part in our product testing and have developed a range of products that will help our riders perform to their maximum in all conditions.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"Media-image lazyload\" width=\"auto\" height=\"1365\" alt=\"\" data- data-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSC08787.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Also joining the teams\u2019 technical partner portfolio in 2027 will be Prologo. Founded in Milan in 2006, the Italian saddle manufacturer has built its reputation around innovation, research and close collaboration with professional riders, allowing us to provide our athletes with equipment tailored to their individual performance and comfort requirements.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"Media-image lazyload\" width=\"auto\" height=\"1152\" alt=\"\" data- data-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/BIKEFIT-51.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The teams\u2019 rider equipment will be further strengthened by the arrival of Sidi and Lazer. With more than 60 years of experience producing high-performance footwear, Sidi brings a longstanding reputation for innovation and quality.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"Media-image lazyload\" width=\"auto\" height=\"1151\" alt=\"\" data- data-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DSC08897.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Belgian helmet manufacturer Lazer joins the team as official helmet partner. With over a century of experience, their commitment to performance-driven product development and rider safety makes them an ideal partner as we continue to pursue excellence at the highest level of the sport.<\/p>\n<p>Completing the teams\u2019 new technical package will be a partnership with Wolf Performance. Combining extensive bike-fitting experience with the latest technology, Wolf Performance will work with our riders and performance staff to optimise individual positions and equipment setups, helping ensure that each rider can get the maximum performance from the equipment available to them.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of the new partnerships, CEO Jurgen For\u00e9 said, \u201cWe have been working on this project for more than one year, because decisions around technical partners have a direct impact on the performance of our riders. We wanted to look at every element of our equipment package and understand where we could make improvements, while also building on the strong relationships that we already have.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat excites me most is not simply the individual products that our riders will use, but the expertise that each of these companies brings our teams. We want our technical partners to work closely with our riders and performance staff, sharing knowledge, data and ideas so that we can continue to develop together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are very grateful to all our new partners for the confidence they show in our teams. We look forward to beginning these new partnerships and being able to show you exactly what we have been working so hard to deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Soudal Quick-Step and AG Insurance &#8211; Soudal are pleased to announce a number of new technical partnerships for&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":939933,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":["post-939932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=939932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/939933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=939932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=939932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=939932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}