Iljo Keisse has signed a one year extension to his existing contract with Quick Step, which will see the track specialist continue to ride with the Belgian ProTeam in 2011. The 27-year-old from Gent, Belgium has been intermittently serving a suspension after testing positive during the Six-Days of Gent in 2008, but was freed to ride by a decision from the Belgian Court of Appeal last month.
“[His contract is] under the same conditions as last season,” explained Lefevere to Het Nieuwsblad. "I didn't want Iljo to end up on street after the rotten year that he’s experienced. First his collarbone, then this suspension, also: he didn’t get a lot of opportunities to prove himself. He deserves a second chance with us, even though I haven't had a lot to do with him.”
Keisse himself is understandably very pleased with his contract extension; after missing almost all of 2009 while under suspension, he signed with Quick Step at the beginning of this year after being freed to ride by the Belgian Cycling Federation, but then suffered an injury before having his suspension reapplied while he was riding the Tour de Pologne.
“You can't say that I was the revelation of the season,” said Keisse to Het Nieuwsblad. “My winter was not ideal because my contract was signed late, and then in March I broke my clavicle. I actually never came into form until the summer, then I was shoved aside again by the CAS [Court for Arbitration in Sport – Ed].
“It’s quite logical then, that I doubted if I would still get another chance.”
“This is heartening, after all the misery,” he continued. “This trust gives me a very good feeling and I would like to give something back.
“I know just what to do: work,” he added.
Of course the sword of Damocles of Keisse’s positive test still hangs over him, with the civil court in Belgium to come to what would be the absolute final verdict on Aprill 11th, next year. Things could still go wrong for the rider from Gent, and he could find himself suspended once more; should this happen, he’d likely find himself dropped by the team once more.
“If Iljo is suspended again,” said Lefevere, “it would of course be difficult.”
Keisse travelled immediately to Calpe, Spain to join the rest of the team at its first training camp; he will ride in the Revolution event in Manchester tomorrow night, then ride in the Six-Days of Rotterdam, Bremen and Compenhagen.