Specialized and Quick-Step End 18 Years and 800 Wins Together
One of pro cycling's longest bike partnerships, home to Boonen, Cavendish and Evenepoel, is over as the off-season begins.
Specialized and the Belgian team Quick-Step confirmed on Monday, October 19, the first day of road racing's off-season, that their partnership is over, Velo reports. The collaboration, which began in 2007, paused in 2010 and 2011 and ran continuously from 2012, brought the team known as the Wolf Pack more than 800 victories.
Quick-Step riders won cobbled Monuments, Tour de France stages and world titles on the Tarmac, Shiv, Roubaix and Venge, and riders including Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish and Remco Evenepoel helped develop bikes Specialized went on to sell to the public, Cavendish on sprint bikes and Evenepoel on time trial bikes.
The split had been reported in April but was not confirmed until both sides posted on social media this week. It comes as Quick-Step's own sponsorship era with the team ends after 24 years.
Sources