Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team today announces a renewal of its long-standing sponsorship by Quick-Step, a trendsetting manufacturer and distributor of hardwood, laminate and luxury vinyl flooring The contract, which was set to expire at the end of the current season, will be extended for another two years, until the end of the 2017 season.

On the eve of the Tour of Flanders, the spotlights are once again on team manager Patrick Lefevere's World Tour cycling team. With five victories in the last ten editions of this mythical classic, the Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team hopes to add another prize to its trophy cabinet. In this light, the news about Quick-Step renewing its commitment to the team comes as a welcome boost for its talent-packed roster.

Quick-Step's love of cycling started in 1999 when the flooring division of the UNILIN Group entered the peloton as co-sponsor of the Mapei – Quick-Step Cycling Team. Four seasons later, in 2003, Quick-Step stepped up this commitment when it became one of the main sponsors of cycling team of Patrick Lefevere. The 12 seasons since then have been a success on all fronts. While Patrick Lefevere forged one of the strongest teams in professional cycling history, Quick-Step gradually raised worldwide awareness about its brand.

"Quick-Step has been there since the very start of our team", says Etixx - Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere. "I believe our loyal and mutually beneficial partnership with Quick-Step is one of the most powerful in cycling. Quick-Step is part of the DNA of this team. Together we have written some great pages in cycling history and I'm sure there will be more to come throughout the next two years. We're proud to have two main sponsors with a profile that is so similar to that of our team: Belgian roots, but with an international impact and likewise recognition. We'd like to thank Quick-Step for their continued trust in us, as a team and as an important way to increase their brand awareness."

Paul De Cock, President at UNILIN, division flooring, explains the chemistry between Quick-Step and the world of cycling: "Over the past sixteen seasons, our international sponsoring strategy has been pivotal in enhancing the reputation of our brand. I don't think that we could have ever found a better match than this one. The resolve of Niki Terpstra, the sheer power of Tom Boonen, the elegance of Michal Kwiatkowski ... I think the perfect rider has a lot in common with a Quick-Step floor: a fine blend of robustness and style. What's more, we share with the team a common passion for design and innovation as well as an eye for the smallest details."

Since the team welcomed Czech businessman and cycling aficionado Zdenek Bakala on board in 2011, the team has been stronger than ever. De Cock: "His drive and commitment to make a lasting impact on the world of cycling have been an inspiration to all of us at Quick-Step. We look forward to the coming years. Not only do we have some of the most talented riders of the pack, we also have an outstanding staff and top-notch infrastructure in place. I am sure this partnership will continue to prove a successful one, both for the team, and for Quick-Step as a leading flooring brand."