SQS brings fully recovered Landa and Dutch debutant to the Vuelta with strong squad

“After featuring on our team’s Castelli jersey for the first time at last year’s Spanish Grand Tour, the famous logo makes a return for the 80th edition, which gets underway in just a few days from Turin,” the team announced the return of the T-Rex. “This means that for the next three weeks, as they journey from northern Italy to Madrid, our squad will once again be known as T-Rex Quick-Step and do their best to put the T-Rex in the spotlight and on the top step of the podium.”

Nuno Ribeiro, Soudal's regional director for Southern Europe, expresses his delight. "We are delighted to see T-Rex back in the peloton! It is an exciting opportunity for us to highlight our T-Rex brand, which stands for durability, power, and innovation – qualities that align perfectly with the spirit of competitive cycling. The rebranding of the team Soudal Quick-Step to Team T-Rex Quick-Step reflects Soudal’s strategic focus on promoting T-Rex as a leading brand in the adhesives and sealants market. Known for its exceptional strength and reliability, T-Rex has become a symbol of the company’s commitment to quality and innovation."

Enough about sponsorship for now. As mentioned, Landa is the leader of the eight-man T-Rex Quick-Step selection. "He will lead the team in his home race, where he will be competing for the ninth time in his career. The charismatic 35-year-old Basque will have plenty of opportunities to showcase the now-famous T-Rex Quick-Step jersey, together with a strong squad that can play several cards in our quest for victories in Spain," says the team.

Landa is thus returning to a Grand Tour after crashing out of the first stage earlier this year. “I am happy to be back at the start of La Vuelta with this special T-Rex jersey on my shoulders. I would like to get some good results, but the plan is to take it day by day and see how things go. There’s no secret the parcours is a hard one, with plenty of climbs and uphill finishes, but we have a strong and motivated team who are ready to fight all the way to Madrid,” said the Spaniard.

The Belgian team is also counting on Gianmarco Garofoli, Junior Lecerf, Maximilian Schachmann, fresh Mont Ventoux winner Valentin Paret-Peintre, Grand Tour debutant Pepijn Reinderink, Mauri Vansevenant and Louis Vervaeke.

Mikel Landa