User:XyZAn/sandbox/etixx-re-write

History

2003

The team was created as Quick Step-Davitamon in 2003, the staff and riders of Domo-Farm Frites and Mapei-Quick Step were presented to the public in Ghent when the latter disbanded after nine years in the sport. The 2003 season proved to be highly successful for the new teams inaugural season although they did faulter in some of the spring classics; Luca Paolini claimed the teams first win at the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli, Paolo Bettini won the Tour Méditerranéen, Milano–San Remo, HEW Cyclassics and Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian. This culminating in Bettini winning the season-long UCI Road World Cup. Johan Museeuw, in the twilight of his career, saw some successes winning the Omloop Het Volk and a stage at the Post Danmark Rundt. The final victory of the season came at the 2003 UCI Road World Championships courtesy of Michael Rogers in the individual time trial.

2004

Bettini at the 2004 Deutschland Tour wearing his national road race colours

Under tutelage of Museeuw, Tom Boonen had his most successful season of his young career, claiming wins at; E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, Gent–Wevelgem, Scheldeprijs, as well as stages at the Tour de France, Tour of Belgium and Circuit Franco-Belge. Once again Paolo Bettini won the UCI Road World Cup, claiming the overall victory at Tirreno–Adriatico as well as multiple stage race stage wins. The highlight of the season proved to be Bettinis victory in the road race at the 2004 Olympic Games. As per the previous season, Michael Rogers claimed the rainbow jersey in the time trial. The team proved to be dominant, claiming victories from February through to September.

2005

Building on the 2004 season Boonen proved to be yet more dominant winning E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, Tour of Flanders,</ref> Paris–Roubaix, Tour of Belgium, stages at the Tour of Qatar, Paris–Nice, Tour de France as well as the rainbow jersey in the 2005 World Championship road race. Fillipo Pozzato claimed the HEW Cyclassics, Bettini took stage wins in the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana as well as Züri Metzgete and Giro di Lombardia. For the third straight year Michael Rogers was crowned World Time Trial champion meaning the team claimed both rainbow jerseys.

Boonen in the rainbow jersey of world champion (left) Rogers in the rainbow jersey of time trial world champion (right)

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2006

2006 saw the team cement itself as one of the best in terms of one-day classics and stage wins; Nik Nuyens won Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, Bettini won GP Lugano, the 100th edition of the Giro di Lombardia and the World road race championships, whilst Boonen won E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, the Tour of Flanders, Scheldeprijs and Pozzato won Milan-Sanremo. The team took stage wins at thirteen different races as well as two general classification wins.

2007

In 2007 Tom Boonen won the points classification in the Tour de France, taking two stage wins. Bettini defended his world championship in Stuttgart.

2008

In 2008 Gert Steegmans took the final stage of the 2008 Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées. Paolo Bettini retired after the world championship in Varese. In both 2008 Stijn Devolder took the Tour of Flanders and Tom Boonen, Paris–Roubaix.

2009

In 2009 Stijn Devolder took the Tour of Flanders and Tom Boonen, Paris–Roubaix.

2012

After two seasons of disappointment, a resurgent Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Tom Boonen, took four major Spring classics victories, including the four cobblestone courses E3 Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix.

2014

On 17 July 2014, the team announced that Iljo Keisse had been given a 2-year contract extension On the second rest day of the 2014 Tour de France the team announced a change to one of their main sponsors from 2015 onwards for 3 season. Omega Pharma will be exchanged for one of its subsidiaries, Etixx, giving a new team name: Etixx-Quickstep. Further, Tony Martin confirmed via his Twitter account that he had signed a 2-year contract extension. On 19 August the team announced that Pieter Serry had signed a 2-year contract extension, on 27 August the team announced the signing of Maxime Bouet on a 2-year deal and on September 1 the team announced the signing of David de la Cruz on a 2-year contract. In 2014 Michał Kwiatkowski won a rainbow jersey in 2014 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race in Ponferrada, Spain.

2015

The teams first victory came courtesy of Mark Cavendish at the Tour de San Luis. By February the team had won its first one day race - the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race courtesy of Meersman - and its first National championships with Rigoberto Uran claiming the Colombian national time trial championships. General classification victories followed at the Tour of Dubai (Cavendish) and Tour of Qatar (Terpstra).

Later in February 2015, the team announced it had signed 2015 UCI World Omnium champion, Fernando Gaviria, and fellow Columbian, Rodrigo Contreras, on two-year deals set to commence at the start of the 2016 season. In March Meersman continued the teams successful start to the season winning the Handzame Classic, a day later the team secured a 1-2-3 at the Ronde Van Zeeland Seaports with Iljo Keisse claiming the win ahead of Terpstra and Wiśniowski.