Etixx – Quick-Step announced today that the team reached an agreement with Zdenek Stybar to extend his contract for the next two seasons.
The Czech rider, victor in the Le Havre finale of Tour de France Stage 6, will ride with the team of Patrick Lefevere for the next two seasons (2016-2017).
“I’m really happy to announce this news,” Stybar said. “I’m really happy that I can continue with this team for two more years. I would like to thank team owner Zdenek Bakala, who is Czech like I am, and Patrick Lefevere for the trust they showed in me. Their trust gives me a boost of self-confidence and the will to do work hard and do well. I got one of my biggest opportunities in my cycling career with Etixx – Quick-Step. I was able to be successful in cyclocross, and then transition to road racing where I’ve participated in the biggest races in the world, including the cobbled races that I love. I’ve won a few races already on the road and would like to try and win more. I am excited to stay with this team, which has Belgian roots but an international influence. So we can grow up in a multicultural environment, and benefit from each other as a group and individuals. I have to also say the team has a good spirit. We are good friends and something important to me. It’s a big reason why I want to stay for two more seasons. We even have the best materials in the pro peloton, which gives me confidence as I continue to grow as a road rider with cyclocross roots.”
“We are really satisfied with this agreement,” Etixx – Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere said. “We believed and we invested in Zdenek when he passed from cyclocross to road racing. Zdenek is a committed guy that did a lot of progression in those years. Zdenek is a fighter and a guy who knows what he wants. He won already great races, such as a stage at La Vuelta, at Le Tour, Eneco Tour, and Strade Bianche. But we strongly believe that the best in his case has yet to come.”
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