OPQS

Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team is a World Tour cycling team made up of 29 athletes of 10 different nationalities.
The central headquarters is in Wevelgem, Belgium, a city that’s symbolic to Flemish cycling.
The owner of the team is Mr. Zdenek Bakala, who took over the team at the end of 2010.
The team is managed by a Board of 7 members. Patrick Lefevere, one of the most victorious managers in the history of cycling, is in charge of Sports Management.
In 2012 the team captured no less than 60 victories in official UCI calendar events, a season record. Among their major successes some highlights include the Tour de Flandres and the Paris Roubaix for Tom Boonen, a man who has come to symbolize the team and a record man for victories in these two historical cobblestone races. Also worth noting is the 1st victory in the TTT World Championships we took home from Valkenburg (Holland).
In 2013 the squad has been further strengthened with the arrival of the King of Sprints, Englishman Mark Cavendish, who already won the Milano Sanremo and the World Championships in 2011.

OPQS.. More than a team

Investment in young riders, research and innovation. From this perspective, 2013 will be an important year, thanks to several exciting initiatives—specifically, the formation of the Etixx-Ihned Continental Team and the official opening of the Bakala Academy. The Etixx-Ihned Continental Team, comprised of 12 international-calibre young cyclists, will serve as a true farm team for Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team. On this team, the young riders will be able to develop at their own pace, both as athletes and as individuals, within the unique OPQS framework, which emphasizes the values of respect, fair-play and teamwork. The investment in young talent is rounded out by the cooperation agreement between OPQS and the EFC – Omega Pharma – Quick-Step under-23 team and the Avia junior team. But the greatest innovation, which will formally launch in October 2013, is the Bakala Academy, established with the objective of creating a centre of excellence to promote innovation and education in cycling and sports in general, as well as contributing to the development of sports within an international, cultural and economic context. The academy will provide high-quality services for the OPQS Cycling Team, the Continental Team and the youth teams, but all sports will be able to benefit from it. Research and innovation will inspire the facility’s operation, and the Academy will make its expertise and services—the same as those used by OPQS Cycling Team—available to all athletes, whether professional or recreational.

The heritage

The roots for the OPQS Cycling Team heritage took hold in the team’s debut year during the 2003 season, under the name Quick Step-Davitamon.
From 2003 to 2010 the team captured more than 280 victories and 16 Great Classics. Paolo Bettini also gave the team 2 World Cup Titles (2003-2004) and an Olympic Title (Athen 2004).
They hold three Road World Championship with Boonen in 2005 and Bettini in 2006 and 2007. Michale Rogers won for three time the TT World Championship (2003-2005).
The squad has also captured 30 stages in the major Tours: 16 at Tour de France, 5 at Giro d’Italia, 9 at Vuelta.
Virenque wore the polka dot jersey twice in the Tour de France and has become the holder of the highest number of polka dot jerseys for that race, with 7 victories.
Add to this the points’ jersey won at the Giro d’Italia by Paolo Bettini in 2005 and 2006 and the green jersey as leader for the points’ classification captured by Tom Boonen in the 2007 Tour de France.
These important numbers have made the team one of the most recognized formations in the world and a leading team in the classics thanks to the talents of Tom Boonen and Paolo Bettini, the two athletes who together with Richard Virenque have made lasting impressions in the team’s history.

A new era

In October 2010 the Team was acquired by the Czech Businessman Mr. Zdenek Bakala.

With 2011 busy with restructuring and preparing the team and the behind-the-scenes operations, 2012 proved to be an extraordinary year. Our team achieved great results, even bettering the goals we had set, to become a dominant force in the northern classics and, thanks to the support of our technical partners, emerging as one of the world’s best teams in time trials. Our victory in the TTT at the World Championships was the high-point of the 2012 season. That achievement represents a mixture of talent, sports-applied technology, commitment, willpower, excellence and teamwork on the part of everyone, athletes and staff. The elements and values that distinguished this victory are the same principles that guide the activities of our team every day.

The team’s heritage is a point of departure—the incentive to continue writing legendary pages across all types of racing terrain. We know where we come from, but also where we want to go.Treasure the past and build upon it to create a brighter future together: this is the challenge for the Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team.

2003

Name: Quick-Step – Davitamon
Overwinningen: 24
Highlights

  • Omloop het Volk: Johan Museeuw
  • Tour de France, stage 7: Richard Virenque
  • Tour de France, stage 17: Servais Knaven
  • Milano-Sanremo: Paolo Bettini
  • Clasica San Sebastian: Paolo Bettini
  • World Championships ITT: Michael Rogers
  • HEW Cyclassics Hamburg: Paolo Bettini
2004

Name: Quick-Step – Davitamon
Victories: 46
Highlights

  • Tirreno-Adriatico: Paolo Bettini
  • Gent-Wevelgem: Tom Boonen
  • Tour de France, stage 6: Tom Boonen
  • Tour de France, stage 10: Richard Virenque
  • Tour de France, stage 18: Juan Miguel Mercado
  • Tour de France, stage 20: Tom Boonen
  • Olympic Road Race: Paolo Bettini
  • World Championships ITT: Michael Rogers
2005

Name: Quick-Step – Innergetic
Victories: 37
Hightlights

  • Omloop het Volk: Nick Nuyens
  • Ronde van Vlaanderen: Tom Boonen
  • Parijs-Roubaix: Tom Boonen
  • World Championships Road: Tom Boonen
  • Word Championships ITT: Michael Rogers
  • Giro di Lombardia: Paolo Bettini
  • Züri Metzgete: Paolo Bettini
  • Tour de France, stage 2: Tom Boonen
  • Tour de France, stage 3: Tom Boonen
  • Giro d`Italia, stage 1: Paolo Bettini
  • Vuelta a España, stage 16: Paolo Bettini
2006

Name: Quick-Step – Innergetic
Victories: 45
Highlights

  • Milano-Sanremo Filippo Pozzato
  • Ronde van Vlaanderen: Tom Boonen
  • World Championships Road: Paolo Bettini
  • Giro di Lombardia: Paolo Bettini
  • Giro d`Italia, stage 15: Paolo Bettini
  • Tour de France, stage 18: Matteo Tosatto
  • Vuelta a España, stage 2: Paolo Bettini
2007

Name: Quick-Step – Innergetic
Victories: 38
Highlights

  • Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne: Tom Boonen
  • World-Championships Road: Paolo Bettini
  • Tour de France, stage 2: Gert Steegmans
  • Tour de France, stage 6: Tom Boonen
  • Tour de France, stage 10: Cedric Vasseur
  • Tour de France, stage 12: Tom Boonen
  • Tour de France, Green Jersey: Tom Boonen
  • Vuelta a España, stage 3: Paolo Bettini
2008

Name: Team Quick-Step
Victories: 45
Highlights

  • Ronde van Vlaanderen: Stijn Devolder
  • Paris-Roubaix: Tom Boonen
  • Tour de France, stage 21: Gert Steegmans
  • Vuelta a España, stage 3: Tom Boonen
  • Vuelta a España, stage 6: Paolo Bettini
  • Vuelta a España, stage 12: Paolo Bettini
  • Vuelta a España, stage 16: Tom Boonen
  • Vuelta a España, stage 17: Wouter Weylandt
2009

Name: Team Quick-Step
Victories: 24
Highlights

  • Tour Down Under: Allan Davis
  • Tour of Qatar: Tom Boonen
  • Ronde van Vlaanderen: Stijn Devolder
  • Paris-Roubaix: Tom Boonen
  • Belgium Championship Road: Tom Boonen
  • Clasica San Sebastian: Carlos Barredo
  • Dwars door Vlaanderen: Kevin van Impe
  • White jersey Giro d`Italia: Kevin Seeldraeyers
  • (Best young rider)
2010

Name: Team Quick-Step
Victories: 17
Highlights

  • Giro d`Italia, stage 3: Wouter Weylandt
  • Giro d`Italia, stage 5: Jerome Pineau
  • Tour de France, stage 2: Sylvain Chavanel
  • Tour de France, stage 7: Sylvain Chavanel
  • Vuelta a España, stage 15: Carlos Barredo
  • Tirreno-Adriatico, stage 2: Tom Boonen
  • Tour of Belgium: Stijn Devolder
  • Belgium Championship Road: Stijn Devolder
2011

Name: Quick-Step Cycling Team
Victories: 8
Highlights

  • Tour of Qatar, stage 1: Tom Boonen
  • Gent-Wevelgem: Tom Boonen
  • French Championship Road: Sylvain Chavanel
2012

Name: Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team
Victories: 60
Highlights

  • Gent-Wevelgem: Tom Boonen
  • Ronde van Vlaanderen: Tom Boonen
  • Paris-Roubaix: Tom Boonen
  • 4 National Road Championships
  • 5 National ITT Championships
  • World Championships ITT: Tony Martin
  • World Championships TTT: OPQS Team