This Thursday, via its official Twitter account, the Belgian cycling team Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl formalized the arrival of three new riders: Tim Merlier, Jan Hirt and Casper Pedersen.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl doesn’t do things by halves. This Thursday, via his account Twitter official, the Belgian WorldTour cycling team has formalized the arrival of three riders. They are Tim Merlier, Jan Hirt, without forgetting Casper Pedersen. All three will therefore land on the occasion of the launch of the 2023 season. Next year, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl will become Soudal-Quick-Step. First of all, the formation therefore achieved a big blow, with Tim Merlier, who is committed until 2025. The Belgian sprinter of the Belgian cycling formation Alpecin-Deceuninck, now 29 years old and already winner of the stages on the Tour of Italy but also on the Tour de France, will then be responsible for replacing Mark Cavendish.
Join us in giving a warm welcome to @MerlierTim, @HirtJan and @pedersencaspwho will all ride for the Wolfpack from 2023!
Read more about this, here: https://t.co/3U61ZiqQxj
Photo: @GettySport pic.twitter.com/4Cy2eDhQEH
— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) August 4, 2022
“We are really satisfied”
In this press release formalizing this news of this triple arrival, Patrick Lefevere, who is none other than the general manager of this formation, thus notably declared, in particular about Merlier: “We are really satisfied with the activity that we have made and the fact that we were able to bring in three quality riders to strengthen our team for the years to come. I think my admiration for Tim is well documented and it will be fantastic to see both Belgian national champion shirts back in the Wolfpack. For his part, Casper Pedersen, whose name had already been launched by cycling flash, signs a two-year contract, i.e. until 2024. The Dane, now 26, notably gleaned the 2020 edition of Paris-Tours and will be an important element in leading the sprints. Finally, Jan Hirt has therefore also signed. The Czech, now 31, will be particularly useful in the mountains, he who still wears the colors of the Belgian cycling team Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux. He is also committed until 2024.
