Quick Step has apparently increased its offer to sign World cyclocross champion Zdenek Stybar, according to Het Nieuwsblad. The Czech star currently rides for Telenet-Fidea who, while one of the most powerful teams in cyclocross, sits in the third Continental division when it comes to road racing.
Quick Step manager Patrick Lefevere’s first offer, reportedly of €525,000, was turned down, but he has met with Stybar’s manager Paul De Geyter once more with an increased offer.
Stybar has a clause in his current contract with Telenet-Fidea that allows it first refusal on the rider’s contract; so if Quick Step wants the Czech rider it must better anything that his current team can come up with. De Geyter refused to confirm or deny any details of the contract offer, but it ought to be an improvement in both financial and sporting terms.
Stybar, who is currently recovering from a knee injury on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, has reportedly said that he sees his future with Quick Step. A majority stake in the ProTeam was recently bought up by a consortium that included Czech billionaire Zdenek Bakala, so the desire and the necessary finances to bring the Czech Republic’s biggest cyclist to the team will likely be available.
“Styby” is without doubt one of the biggest names in cyclocross and is as popular in Belgium as any of its homegrown stars. He has said that he would like to try to win one of the big one-day classics like the Ronde van Vlaanderen in future and so would have to move to a bigger team to do so.
His pedigree on the road is largely unproven though. Like most cyclocross riders he races on the road in summer as training for the winter season, and he managed a win in the prologue of the Tour of Slovakia in September; it remains to be seen how he might perform against top-flight opposition.