Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team Launch!

Part of my not-so-hidden agenda when planning out this whole sabbatical year was to be locate myself in the heart of cycling-mad Belgium during the fall cyclocross season. As you've seen, that's worked spectacularly well with our getting to the cyclocross races in person and also becoming a rabid fan watching TV on the weekends.

One final bonus to our time here was getting the invite to the big team presentation for the Omega Pharma - Quick-Step professional cycling team. Under various sponsors, this team has been around for twenty years at the very highest level of the sport, and has won pretty much everything short of the Tour de France itself. I ended up having lunch with Zdenek Stybar, two-time defending World Cyclocross Champion. A fun way to wind up our Belgian experience!

BTW, Stybar's stylish outfit is because the team is sponsored by Pablo Nero, a fashion house from Antwerp. Sure beats the typical sweats and hoodies cyclists get sent by their team! And lucky me, the loot bag I was given for attending included a Pablo Nero tie, cuff links, and pocket kerchief in the team's light blue colour, the same as what the directors and team bosses get - I might have to dress up more at work now! That's team boss Patrick Lefevere modelling my fancy new tie and handkerchief.

And here's my PezCycling News article on the team launch!