Etixx - Quick-Step has reached a one-year contract extension agreement with Guillaume Van Keirsbulck. The Belgian rider has been with the team since 2010, with his best year in 2014.

He earned three victories including a stage of Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, an overall victory at Driedaagse de Panne - Koksijde, and a win in the 7th stage of Eneco Tour. Van Keirsbulck's 2015 season was adversely affected by health complications, which required surgery.

"I'm really happy about the renewal of my contract," Van Keirsbulck said. "It was a hard period in June with two surgeries in a row, one for a hernia in my back and one for my stomach. The team was always around me and they gave me all the support necessary to rehab well and come back. I am working a lot in rehabilitation. I've recently been able to ride my bike for two or two and a half hours. Everything is going as planned. It would be nice to have the possibility to still ride this year, maybe at the end of September or early October. We will see what is possible. But the most important thing is that my physical problems are behind me. I have the trust of the team, and I can't wait to be ready for next season."

"It was a difficult year for Guillaume," CEO Patrick Lefevere said. "He started with a good part of the season, but then he had back problems, which affected the second part of the year. He underwent surgery in agreement with the team medical staff. This surgery was necessary to avoid future problems. We know Guillaume is working hard now to come back. We really hope that next year can be the first time we see the true value of Guillaume, without any physical problems."