Belgian newspaper reports that Quick-Step's future is safe, but team boss isn't happy

Patrick Lefevere isn't too pleased about report

Quick-Step Floors 2017.
(Image credit: Yuzuru Sunada)

Quick-Step Floors general manager Patrick Lefevere has reacted with annoyance to a Belgian newspaper's splash that the team's future is secure for the next four years.

Lefevere tweeted his displeasure about a report by Het Laatste Nieuws which said that he had secured the squad's future through sponsorship deals with existing sponsors, and either current team owner Zdenek Bakala or another major sponsor.

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Het Laatste Nieuws reports that no one on the team was willing to talk, but said that "several sources" confirmed that there is no longer any possibility that the team could fold at the end of the season.

Specialized, Lidl, and Quick-Step have all reportedly committed to four more years, with additional funding either coming from Bakala or another main sponsor.

Reports earlier in June suggested that uncertainty over the team's future had led a number of top riders, including Marcel Kittel, Philippe Gilbert, and Dan Martin to consider their futures.

Lefevere said earlier in the year that he was hoping to be able to confirm the team's future before the Tour de France, which starts on July 1.

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Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.