Belgiums number two team, Omega Pharma-Lotto, has received good news today in the form of a two-year extension of sponsorship with Omega-Pharma. The squad has ridden second fiddle to the Quick Step team over the past several years, but now that their future is secure, they will have the opportunity to continue to gain ground.
The tables started to turn on rival Quick Step team last fall, when then Silence-Lotto leader Philippe Gilbert stormed to four straight victories. His incredible run included two Classics, Paris-Tours and the Giro di Lombardia, as well as the Coppa Sabatini and the Giro del Piemonte.
Gilbert continued to ride with his newfound confidence into 2010, and landed himself on the the podium in Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, also securing several other top ten finishes in major races. The icing on the cake for his spring campaign was his victory in the Amstel Gold Race.
Since his win in Holland, Gilbert has continued to ride well. He took a stage win at the Tour of Belgium, where he wore the leader's jersey for three days, and finished second behind Stijn Devolder at the Belgian national championships.
"Omega Pharma is pleased with the project, especially now that our name is on the jerseys," Omega Pharma CEO Marc Coucke told the Gazet van Antwerpen newspaper on Wednesday.
In the past the pharmaceutical company has sponsored cycling teams by promoting its individual company products Davitamon, Predictor and Silence. 2010 represents the first time they have opted to use the parent company's name.
Last year the team took a big hit when they lost World champion Cadel Evans to the BMC Racing team. The Australian's move shocked the cycling world, but it also freed up a significant amount of the team's budget. The team is already in talks with HTC-Columbia's number two sprinter, André Greipel, and with several team sponsorships in question, they could go on a spending spree that will continue to tip the battle to become Belgium's top team in their favor.
Quick Step has regained the upper hand following Gilbert's Amstel Gold Race win by taking two stages at the Tour de France, along with stints in the yellow and the King of the Mountains jersey.