Kasper Asgreen will stay with Deceuninck-QuickStep until at least 2024, signing a new three-year contract after winning the Tour of Flanders.
The 26-year-old Dane has stormed through the ranks of the Belgium team since being called up to plug injury gaps part-way through 2018 and has now established himself as one of the world's leading cobbled Classics riders.
"Staying here was a no-brainer for me. Deceuninck-QuickStep is the most successful team in the world, and ever since I was an amateur, I dreamed of joining them, as I loved how they always developed young riders into winners," Asgreen said.
"Three years on, I still believe it’s the best environment for me and signing an extension so early into the season makes me happy and motivates me even more to perform. I want to thank everyone for their support and what they did and continue to do for me."
Asgreen made his team debut at Scheldeprijs in the spring of 2018, where his teammate Fabio Jakobsen won, and was part of the victorious team time trial squad at the World Championships later that year.
In 2019 he turned heads in his first full cobbled Classics campaign, making his way into the squad for the biggest races and finishing runner-up at Flanders. He won a stage of the Tour of California but his real breakthrough came with victory at the 2020 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, establishing him as a leader for the Classics.
After doing the Danish national road race and time trial double last year, he did the E3 Classic and Tour of Flanders double this spring, memorably beating Mathieu van der Poel in a two-up sprint in Oudenaarde.
Team boss Patrick Lefevere noted at the time that he'd now need to fork out more cash to keep hold of Asgreen, but was happy to do so.
"Retaining Kasper’s services for three more years is another building block in helping to secure the future of the team," said Lefevere, who recently tied Remco Evenepoel down to a new long-term deal.
"He is a great rider, but also someone who has always kept his feet firmly on the ground, and this, doubled by a huge ambition, has helped him record an incredible progress in the last three years.
"You could see him grow season after season, and this spring he joined the Monument winners club, which is a testimony of his talent. We are confident he can still improve and help us win many other races."
