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Soudal Quick-Step and its sister women’s team, AG Insurance-Soudal, will replace Specialized with Merida bikes from next season. The agreement is set to run through 2030, and the men’s team will also take the name Soudal Safety Jogger.
Soudal Quick-Step and its sister women’s team, AG Insurance-Soudal, will switch from Specialized to Merida bikes from next season, ending a partnership with Specialized that began in 2007. The men’s WorldTour team will also race under the name Soudal Safety Jogger, while the Merida agreement is scheduled to run through 2030.
The teams are expected to use Merida’s Reacto road bike and Time-Warp time-trial bike. The announced technical package includes Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets, wheelsets and pedals, Continental tyres, Prologo saddles, Sidi shoes and Lazer helmets. The report did not specify whether every component will be used by both teams in all race settings.
The switch closes a long relationship between Specialized and the men’s squad, which began when the team raced as Quickstep-Innergetic in 2007. Cycling Weekly reported that the teams spent two seasons on Eddy Merckx bikes during that period, but otherwise their association with Specialized lasted for roughly two decades.
The partnership overlapped with major results across road racing, including Classics victories associated with Tom Boonen and Grand Tour sprint wins by Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel and Tim Merlier. Remco Evenepoel also won a Grand Tour and world titles while riding for the team; he now rides Specialized for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, according to the report.
A New Technical Partnership for Both Teams
The change affects equipment across two high-profile teams, not just the branding on their bikes. Bike, component and clothing partners supply equipment that riders and staff evaluate for race use, while working with teams on setup and performance requirements. The deal gives Merida a renewed presence at the top level of men’s and women’s road racing.
For Soudal Quick-Step, the switch also arrives alongside a change in the men’s team name. Fans will see the Soudal Safety Jogger name next season, while the women’s team retains the AG Insurance-Soudal name in the report. The equipment change is a change of supplier; it does not, by itself, signal a change in either team’s sporting status or roster.
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From Specialized to Merida
Specialized first partnered with the team for the 2007 season. Cycling Weekly described the relationship as a long-running one, interrupted by two seasons on Eddy Merckx bikes. During that time, the men’s team built a record that included Classics success and sprint victories, while the wider partnership continued through changes in riders and team naming.
Merida is returning to the WorldTour after a year away from the sport’s highest level, according to Cycling Weekly. The brand was last represented there by Bahrain Victorious. Its new agreement with the two Soudal teams is due to begin next season and run to 2030, giving the company a multi-year role in their technical programmes.
The team said its equipment selection followed testing and evaluation, including wind-tunnel work and testing on the road. CEO Jurgen Foré said the project had been underway for more than a year. Those details describe the team’s process and rationale; they do not establish that the new equipment will produce specific race results.
“We 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.”
— Soudal team CEO Jurgen Foré, in a team statement
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Race Use and Performance Still Ahead
The announcement sets out the brands and products in the new package, but it does not provide detailed specifications for every model, rider or race configuration. It also gives no measured comparison between the Merida bikes and the equipment the teams currently use, so claims about any performance gain cannot be assessed from the information released.
The full effects of the change will only become clearer once riders use the equipment in competition. The announcement does not describe changes to team rosters, staffing or other sporting plans, and it should not be read as confirmation of such changes.
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Teams Prepare for Next Season
The teams are due to begin using Merida equipment next season under the agreement that runs through 2030. Their riders and technical staff will move from announcement and testing to race use, with the Reacto and Time-Warp named as the main road and time-trial models in the reported package.
Further details may emerge on the teams’ final specifications and how the equipment is configured for individual riders and events. The men’s squad will also enter the new season as Soudal Safety Jogger. Results on the road will provide the clearest indication of how the new partnership develops, but the announcement itself does not predict a competitive outcome.
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Key Questions
Which teams are switching to Merida?
Soudal Quick-Step and its sister women’s team, AG Insurance-Soudal, are making the switch from Specialized to Merida.
When does the change take effect?
The change is set to take effect next season. The announcement, reported by Cycling Weekly, was made Tuesday.
How long will the Merida deal last?
The agreement is reported to run through 2030.
What bikes will the teams use?
The reported package names Merida’s Reacto road bike and Time-Warp time-trial bike, alongside equipment from Shimano, Continental, Prologo, Sidi and Lazer.
Is the men’s team changing its name too?
Yes. The men’s WorldTour team is due to race as Soudal Safety Jogger from next season, according to the report.
Source: rss
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