Quick Step with a young team in Tour of Beijing

Quick Step is sending a young but competitive team to the Tour of Beijing. The riders are looking to “leave their mark” in the inaugural edition of the Chinese stage race.

Marco Bandiera, Dario Cataldo, Francesco Chicci, Iljo Keisse, Francesco Reda, Niki Terpstra, Matteo Trenti and Kristof Vandewalle will represent the Belgian team in Beijing.

The five-stage race contains two stages “that are suited to sprinters, two challenging stages which will give a definite shape to the race," said sports director Davide Bramati. The race also features a time trial which will see the riders use their regular road bikes, and which Bramati describes as "atypical.”

"Overall the race will take place on a balanced route which will touch on some very particular locations. For the riders and supporting personnel it will definitely be a new and unusual experience,” Bramati said.

“Our squad is competitive and contains athletes capable of leaving their mark, both in the stages suited to sprinters and the more complicated stages. It's a young team, but this is also why they are eager to show their worth in one of the last races of the season."