TL;DR
Soudal Quick-Step and its sister team, AG Insurance-Soudal, will switch from Specialized to Merida bikes next season. The agreement is set to run through 2030, while the men’s team will also take the name Soudal Safety Jogger. The teams have not published performance data comparing the new equipment with their current setup.
Soudal Quick-Step and AG Insurance-Soudal will switch from Specialized to Merida bikes next season, ending a partnership with the American manufacturer that began in 2007. The men’s WorldTour team will also compete under the name Soudal Safety Jogger, and the new bike agreement is scheduled to run through 2030.
The change applies to both the men’s team and its sister Women’s WorldTour squad, AG Insurance-Soudal. Their current arrangement with Specialized has lasted for most of the past two decades, with the source report noting two seasons when the team used Eddy Merckx bikes. The announcement marks a new equipment partnership for both squads rather than a change limited to one side of the organisation.
The teams are set to use the Merida Reacto for road racing and the Merida Time-Warp for time trials. The reported technical package also includes Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets, wheelsets and pedals, Continental tyres, Prologo saddles, Sidi shoes and Lazer helmets. The reported agreement is initially in place through 2030.
In a team press release, Soudal Quick-Step said its technical staff tested and assessed products in controlled settings, including a wind tunnel, and in road conditions. The release described the equipment selection as part of a broader technical package intended to support the riders. It did not provide comparative test results or quantify any expected performance gain.
A New Equipment Package for Both Teams
The switch changes a visible part of the setup for two professional teams and ends a long-running supplier relationship. Bike and component choices matter in elite road racing because equipment is selected for different race demands, including road stages, time trials and the varied conditions of a season. The teams say they evaluated equipment before selecting partners, but the announcement does not establish that the new package will make them faster or improve results.
The sponsor change also brings Merida back into the WorldTour after a year away from the sport’s highest team level, according to the report. Its previous WorldTour association was with Bahrain Victorious. For riders and fans, the practical change will be most apparent when the squads begin racing in the new colours and on the new bikes next season.
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From Specialized to Merida
Specialized first partnered with the team then known as Quickstep-Innergetic for the 2007 season. The partnership accompanied successes in the Classics and Grand Tour sprint stages, as well as world championship victories, according to Cycling Weekly. Riders associated with those years included Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel and Tim Merlier. Remco Evenepoel, who won a Grand Tour while with the team, now rides Specialized for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
The change comes alongside a naming update for the men’s team: it is due to be called Soudal Safety Jogger from next year. The source report describes the move as a switch of bike sponsors for both teams; it does not say that the women’s squad will take the men’s new name. Merida’s return and the agreement’s stated term give the announcement significance beyond a single model change, but details of the commercial arrangement were not reported.
“We have been working on this project for more than one year, because decisions around technical partners have a direct impact on the performance of our riders.”
— Soudal Quick-Step CEO Jurgen Foré
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Performance Gains Not Quantified
The announcement does not include test data, measured performance differences or a detailed explanation of the commercial terms. It is therefore unclear whether the teams expect gains in particular areas such as aerodynamics, handling or time-trial performance, and no results from the reported testing were made public.
The report says the agreement runs through 2030, but does not specify the exact start date beyond saying the change begins next season. It also does not detail whether every rider will use the same frame configuration or how the new equipment will be adapted to individual needs. Those specifics may become clearer when the teams publish their season equipment details.
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New Bikes Arrive Next Season
The teams are due to begin using Merida bikes next season, with the Reacto for road racing and the Time-Warp for time trials. Their announced partner package includes Shimano, Continental, Prologo, Sidi and Lazer products. Further information may come from the teams or suppliers as the changeover approaches, including technical specifications and images of the race equipment.
The first competition appearances on the new bikes will show how the setup is deployed in races, but results alone would not establish the effect of the equipment change. The men’s team is also expected to adopt the Soudal Safety Jogger name next year; the source report does not give a more precise date for either change.
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Key Questions
Which teams are switching to Merida?
Soudal Quick-Step and its sister women’s team, AG Insurance-Soudal, are both set to switch from Specialized bikes to Merida next season.
Which Merida bikes will the teams use?
The reported lineup includes the Merida Reacto for road racing and the Merida Time-Warp for time trials.
How long will the Merida agreement last?
The agreement is reported to run through 2030. The announcement does not provide a more detailed schedule for the transition.
Will the new equipment improve the teams’ results?
The teams say products were assessed in wind-tunnel and road testing, but they have not released comparative results or quantified expected performance gains. Any effect on race outcomes remains unknown.
Is the men’s team changing its name too?
Yes. The men’s WorldTour team is set to be known as Soudal Safety Jogger from next year. The report does not say that AG Insurance-Soudal will adopt that name.
Source: rss
