Soudal Quick-Step to part ways with Specialized a year after Evenepoel exit

Soudal Quick-Step are reportedly set to partner with a new bike manufacturer for the 2027 season after establishing one of the most well-recognised association in the peloton with American manufacturer Specialized.

Journalist Daniel Benson has reported that the Belgian team will move from Specialized to Taiwanese manufacturer Merida for the 2027 season, bringing an end to a long-term partnership. Dutch outlet Wielerflits has also reported that sources have confirmed that the deal is set to take place. 

The partnership with Merida would stretch across to the women’s AG Insurance-Soudal Team, with a contract length of three to four years, according to Benson.

Soudal Quick-Step and Specialized have formed one of the most durable partnerships in cycling across two spells, from 2007 to 2009, and again from 2012 to the current season. 

Former leader Remco Evenepoel will remain on Specialized at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, having departed for the German team for 2026. This means that Evenepoel will continue the streak of spending the whole of his professional career to date with a trade team that races on Specialized bikes.

The current contract between Quick-Step and Specialized runs through until the end of the current season, and the team are yet to officially confirm the new partnership.

If the deal comes to fruition, Merida will return to the WorldTour after a single season's absence. In 2013, Merida became a co-sponsor of Italian ProTour team Lampre-Merida, known for their distinct purple and pink jerseys, which then worked their way to WorldTour level. The team’s WorldTour license transferred to UAE Abu Dhabi, now UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Meanwhile, Merida became a co-sponsor of the new Bahrain-Merida team and would serve as a title sponsor up until 2021. When the team became known as Bahrain-Victorious, Merida remained as the team’s official bike manufacturer and remained so until the end of the 2025 season, when replaced by Bianchi.