Soudal-Quick Step to Become Soudal-Safety Jogger in 2027
One of professional cycling’s most recognisable team names is set for a major change. Soudal-Quick Step will be renamed Soudal-Safety Jogger Pro Cycling Team starting in the 2027 season, marking the end of Quick-Step’s 24-year run as a title sponsor and the rise of a Belgian PPE company as a global cycling partner.
The announcement was made on July 13, the first rest day of the 2026 Tour de France, via a press conference and a Top Gun-style campaign video. Belgian riders Tim Merlier — already a two-stage winner at this year’s Tour — and Jasper Stuyven will lead the team under its new identity.
End of an Era for Quick-Step
Laminate flooring company Quick-Step has been a fixture in the team’s name since 2003, with involvement dating back to 1999 through the Mapei-QuickStep squad. Over 24 years, the team — known as “The Wolfpack” — has amassed more than 1,000 victories and produced legends such as Tom Boonen, Philippe Gilbert, and Remco Evenepoel. The team has won at least one stage at every Tour de France since 2013, a streak that Tim Merlier has continued this year with two sprint victories.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Quick-Step will not disappear entirely. The brand will remain on the team kit as a sponsor until 2030, but will no longer hold title naming rights.
Team CEO Jurgen Foré explained the transition: “We wanted to continue together, albeit in a different way. Quick-Step will continue to play a prominent role in the team, but no longer as name sponsor.”
The team has undergone several name changes over its history — from Quick-Step-Davitamon (2003-2004) through Omega Pharma-Quick-Step, Etixx-Quick-Step, Quick-Step Floors, and Deceuninck-Quick-Step, before becoming Soudal Quick-Step in 2023. Through each iteration, the Quick-Step name remained constant — until now.
Safety Jogger’s Rise to Co-Title Sponsor
Safety Jogger, a Belgian personal protective equipment brand founded in 2000 as part of the Cortina Group, first partnered with the men’s team in 2022. The company — which manufactures safety footwear, workwear, head protection, and other PPE — has grown rapidly, doubling its revenue during the COVID crisis and expanding into 143 markets worldwide, selling more than 12 million PPE products annually through 5,000 dealers.
Headquartered in Oudenaarde, East Flanders — just a short distance from the team’s base — Safety Jogger has invested heavily in growth, including a new automated logistics centre completed in summer 2026. The company also developed the world’s lightest safety shoe and the first safety shoe made entirely from recycled materials.
Tom Gybels, General Director of Safety Jogger, said the upgrade represents a landmark moment for the company. “We are incredibly proud to share this historic milestone in our global journey of protecting people from head to toe,” he said in the official team announcement. “Stepping up as the co-title partner is the ultimate recognition of our long-standing relationship and the cherry on top of five years of incredible company growth.”
Gybels added that the partnership has transformed Safety Jogger from “a mediocre, small player” into a global brand, and that the company aims to break into the global top three in its industry. “We are convinced that by going ‘next level’, our brand can also penetrate the global top three in our industry,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws.
Jurgen Foré, Team CEO, highlighted the shared values behind the partnership: “The strongest partnerships are built on shared values, which is exactly why our future with Safety Jogger is so compelling. While we both share proud roots in Flanders, we have each built a global footprint through a relentless commitment to innovation and excellence.”
Financial Stability and Competitive Position
The team’s budget is approximately €32 million, placing it between 8th and 10th among WorldTour teams — well below superteams like UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, and Visma-Lease a Bike, which operate on estimated budgets of €45-55 million.
Foré acknowledged the financial realities but expressed confidence in the team’s future. “We always punch a bit above our weight,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Paying our bills and winning races will certainly be possible thanks to the new co-sponsor.” He noted that the upgrade provides stability and modest growth rather than a dramatic budget increase.
What Comes Next?
According to Cycling Weekly, Safety Jogger may serve as a “placeholder” co-title sponsor, with the team reportedly already in advanced talks with a larger company for a potential naming partnership in 2028. This reflects broader financial pressures in professional cycling, where half of Tour de France teams are reportedly searching for title sponsors amid rising rider salaries.
The women’s WorldTour team AG Insurance-Soudal is unaffected by the change, as Quick-Step has not been a co-title sponsor there since 2023.
For now, the Soudal-Safety Jogger name signals a new chapter for one of cycling’s most storied teams — one that retains its strong Belgian identity while looking toward a future of continued growth and competition. With Soudal remaining as primary title sponsor and Quick-Step still present on the kit, the transition balances continuity with renewal.
As the 2026 Tour de France continues, Tim Merlier and his teammates will race under the familiar Soudal Quick-Step banner for one more season. But from 2027, a new era begins — one that tells the story of a Belgian safety shoe company that grew from a modest partner into a global co-title sponsor, and a legendary team adapting to the changing economics of professional cycling.
— With reporting from Het Laatste Nieuws, Cycling Weekly, Cyclingnews, and the official team announcement.