Jurgen Vandewalle (Quick Step) leads the breakaway(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Quick Step) works for his team captain(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Quick Step has extended the contracts of three riders for another year. Dries Devenyns, Kristof Vandewalle and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck will now ride for the Belgian team through 2013.
“Dries, Kristof and Guillaume are three athletes who have different skills, who've proven their worth and have always been team players,” said team manager Patrick Lefevere in a press release. “This is also one of the reasons they're a part of our work project. We're counting on them a lot, both for the present as well as the immediate future. These athletes are young talent that are essential to our team's strategy.”
Devenyns, 27, has been with the team since 2009. This year he finished sixth in the Brabantse Pijl. Vandewalle, 26, joined Quick Step this year after three years with Topsport Vlaanderen, and made his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d'Italia.
Van Keirsbulck, 20, is in his first year as a professional. Tragically, his girlfriend Emilia Bonami was killed in a traffic accident Monday evening. In a statement on its website, Quick Step said “The entire team has united around Emilia's family, Guillaume and everyone who knew and loved Emilia. There are no words to express the sadness in our hearts.”
Dutch comings and goings
Jetse Bol will move up from the Rabobank Continental team to the Rabo ProTeam as of next season, the team announced. The 21-year-old has agreed to a two-year contract after four years with the Continental team. The young Dutch rider dominated this year's Olympia's Tour, winning the overall title, two stages and the points, climbing and intermediate sprint rankings. He also won two stages of the Ronde van Bretagne.
Jens Mouris is leaving Vacansoleil-DCM at the end of this season. "Time for a new challenge, this is my last year at Vacansoleil," the 31-year-old announced on Twitter.
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Mouris started his career on the track, winning silver in the individual pursuit at the 2006 World Championships, and riding in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. He joined Vacansoleil in 2009, wining the Ronde van Het Groene Hart in 2010. Mouris finished third last week in the Dutch national time trial championships. He was not selected to ride in Vacansoleil's upcoming Tour de France debut.
