Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team have on the 1st of July signed a new rider, 19-year old Martin Svrcek who will be a new figure in the team, looking to bolster Quick-Step's classics block for the years to come.
“It was my dream, from when I was a kid I wanted to become a professional cyclist. I can’t even imagine how it will feel to ride with The Wolfpack," Svrcek said in a press release. "I’m ready for the hard work and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again at the training camp we will have this month in Livigno. I already spent time with the squad on the training camps in December and January, but now I want to become more of a friend with my teammates and the staff and to train together," he mentioned.
“If there’s one thing I can say for sure it’s that I just want to learn, to become more professional. I don’t set any specific goals, I’m only 19 years old," he added. Svrcek is still a young rider without a proper specialization, however he finished fourth in the Junior World championships last year and sixth in the Paris-Roubaix, indicating a strong presence in the classics and flat races.
He doesn't yet have a race in the schedule, but the Slovakian will have the chance to learn the ropes in the peloton over the next few months, before two full-time years with the Belgian team. “I raced the Giro di Sicilia in April where there were some World Tour teams, but I think there will still be big differences coming up for me now concerning team work for example. Also the material I’ll have is different and the best of what you can get, I’m in awe of what means to be in a World Tour outfit," he said.