Paul De Cock and Patrick Lefevere reflect on one of the most successful partnerships in the history of the sport.
The past two decades witnessed many changes in cycling, but one thing remained the same: the long-term commitment of Quick-Step to professional cycling and to the teams of Patrick Lefevere, who have produced numerous champions and left an indelible mark over the most prestigious races in the world. Fifteen of these years have been with our current team, founded by Frans De Cock and Patrick Lefevere, who with time has grown into one of the most established and respected outfits in the sport.
The ethos and the winning mentality, always driven by a culture of continuous improvement, were two of the factors behind the remarkable performances and results of both parties, as Paul De Cock, President UNILIN, division flooring, underlined Friday at the Quick-Step headquarters in Wielsbeke, where current and former riders – from Philippe Gilbert and Niki Terpstra to Paolo Bettini and Peter Van Petegem – came to celebrate the historic milestone.
"We had our ups and downs, but our value system is what kept us together. We believe in respect, excellence, entrepreneurship and passion, and we always push our employees to make our flooring company the best in the world, just as Patrick pushes his riders to have the best team in the world. We have character, our desire is to stand out and that's why together we make a perfect match. Our relationship is a strong and successful one and makes us extremely happy."
And a fruitful relationship it was so far, with over 600 victories since 2003, when the Quick-Step Floors team began its adventure. More than one hundred of these wins came on cycling's biggest stages – Monuments, Grand Tours and World Championships – where our riders thrived and the squad reached new heights, cementing its superb legacy, to the joy of Quick-Step Floors Cycling Team CEO Patrick Lefevere.
"A lot of things have happened in these 20 years. We couldn't have imagined all this success in 1999, but we clicked immediately thanks to our values and identity, which connect the brand to the team. It's amazing how one sponsor stayed for so long with one team. We have always been ambitious and hard-working, just as the company itself, and that is what propelled us to the top. They never stopped progressing and we never stopped winning."
Quick-Step Floors 2003-2017 Highlights
1 Olympic Title
2 World Cups
13 World Championships
15 Monuments
43 National Titles
75 Grand Tour stages
612 UCI Victories
Photo credit: ©Sigfrid Eggers
