Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl's most successful peloton team has added three new riders to its roster, all of whom will join Wolfpack at the start of next season.
"All three riders have great individual talents, but they are also great team people who I think will fit in well with Wolfpack and its philosophy and we are looking forward to working with them," concluded Vinyl, Quick-Step Alpha CEO.
The first is 31-year-old Czech Jan Hirt, signed until the end of 2024. A professional since 2015, he will strengthen the team's climbing contingent after a strong season in which he won the Tour of Oman and finished sixth overall. The Giro d'Italia, where he also won a stage in Africa.
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Originally from Worthegem-Pethem, the 29-year-old Tim Merlier, who has signed a contract with the team until the end of 2025, started in cyclocross, winning the national junior title before switching to road cycling. There he scored several significant victories as a sprinter, including stages of the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, the Brussels Cycling Classic and the Bruges-de-Pannes Classic. This June, Tim also became the Belgian national champion for the second time in his career, which means the wolf pack will reclaim the famous jersey as Tim joins Remco Evenepoel, who holds the title on the clock.
Last but not least, Kasper Pedersen will also proudly wear the team colors from 2023 after signing a two-year contract. A multiple European Athletics medallist, Kasper turned professional in 2018 and it didn't take much for him to prove his worth by winning one of the oldest races on the Paris Tours calendar just two years later. Since then, the 26-year-old Dane has also confirmed his leadership qualities in a number of races that have brought him to the attention of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl.
"We are very pleased with the work we have done and that we have been able to attract three quality riders to strengthen our team for the coming years. I think my admiration for Tim is well documented and it will be great to see the jerseys of the two Belgian national champions back in Wolves," said Patrick Lefebvre.
"I was also impressed by the talent of Kasper Pedersen. I think he can look up to his compatriot Michael Mjorkov, with whom he has a lot in common and from whom he has learned a lot. And we have Jan Hirt with his mountaineering talents. He has been strong for several years, as we saw this year at the Giro d'Italia. He has the talent to produce results for himself, but he also works hard for others."
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