Bert Van Lerberghe extends with Soudal - Quick-Step: "I want to do as much as I can for Tim Merlier"

Soudal - Quick-Step have announced Bert van Lerberghe as the sixth man to extend their current contract with the team. The 31-year-old Belgian will remain with Patrick Lefevere's team for a further two years.

“The previous four seasons have been really nice and this team is not like others – it is like a family. I know my role as a domestique and I want to do as much as I can in the Classics and in the sprints for Tim Merlier," van Lerberghe tells the official website of Soudal - Quick-Step following the announcement of his extension. "I would like to do well in races like Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix for sure, to be in the final of both to help them win another classic.”

It's that relationship with the former Belgian national champion that proved key for van Lerberghe in re-signing with Soudal - Quick-Step. “Everyone knows about my special relationship with Tim, which was of course part of my decision. We have known each other for over 20 years. I think part of him joining the team was because of me and now it would be strange if I was to leave now that he is here," he continues. "We weren’t sure how it would work when he joined, but we have trust in each other, and a bond in the races as well as off the bike, so staying with the team made a lot of sense."

“Bert is a really strong and selfless rider, a real team player who always gives his best for the team," adds Patrick Lefevere. "During his time with us, he became one of finest lead-out riders in the peloton, and what better testimony to this than his chemistry with Tim Merlier. We are delighted that he will continue to be a member of the team in the next two years.”