It's been the will they/won't they transfer of the season, but Tom Boonen's renewal looks to have brought Vanmarcke's move to Etixx to an end
Sep Vanmarcke has said that he won’t be moving to Etixx-Quick Step in 2017, after a prolonged saga linking the Belgian to the team.
Vanmarcke, who has just finished competing in the Tour de France with his current team LottoNL-Jumbo, was heavily touted as being a replacement for Tom Boonen in the Etixx line-up and leading their Classics campaign.
>>> Tom Boonen signs new Etixx-Quick Step contract; will retire after 2017 Paris-Roubaix
But the recent announcement of Boonen’s one-year renewal with the team looks to have been one of the factors in putting paid to the move, with Vanmarcke telling Sporza that contract length was also a sticking point.
“I can’t tell you where I’ll ride next season.” Vanmarcke said. “I’ve weighed up all the options.
“I will decide soon. There was a conversation with Team Quick Step, but nothing became concrete.
“It was an offer for one year, but I prefer a contract for a longer period. Team Quick Step is not my new team.”
Transfers can officially be announced by teams on August 1 according to UCI rules, and their shouldn’t be any shortage of takes for the 27-year-old.
Vanmarcke has shown his Classics worth with two fourth places and a runner-up finish at Paris-Roubaix in recent years, as well as two third places in the Tour of Flanders in 2014 and 2016.