Two years after its disappearance, the Qhubeka structure returns to the platoon, although with a change of license and a new name. The new structure, of Swiss nationality, will compete under the name of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team on the occasion of the main sponsor of the team, the Italian cycling brand Q36.5, and that they will run with the motto “Racing the Future” (Running the future).
Douglas Ryder, who will be the team’s general manager, thus celebrated the creation of this new structure. “Cycling is the fuse of positive change and we believe that with this team of cyclists and staff, we will live our mission, we will commit ourselves and we will race with passion and fight. With progress and the heart where we come from, our goal is to help communities grow sustainably using the mobility offered by bicycles. Bicycles not only bring people together, they also help them move forward. As a team, we will race for more than just winning. We want to win to generate a positive future, focused on mobility, education and development in Africa”.
The team will also have the help of Vincenzo Nibali who, after retiring as a professional, will be linked to this project as a technical advisor and ambassador of the Q36.5 brand. A team whose main performance manager will be the Spanish Álex Sans, that analyzes how the new team is like. “We have assembled a group of talented, motivated and committed riders who can be competitive in every race and terrain. We want to perform at the highest level from the start. Experienced riders who have joined us from the World Tour will give us more knowledge and be able to guide the younger members of the team. We have an excellent mix to become one of the best UCI Pro Teams.”
The Q36.5 squad for 2023 will be made up of 23 riders, including well-known names in the peloton such as New Zealander Jack Bauer, Giro y Vuelta stage winner Gianluca Brambilla, Briton Mark Donovan, Norwegian Carl Fredrik Hagen, Australian Damien Howson, Italian Matteo Moschetti or American Joey Rosskopf among others. Big names that will try to consolidate Q36.5 as one of the squads to follow within the UCI Pro Team squad.