Doug Ryder confirms Q36.5 dev team closure as several Africans set to leave team
'We struggled this year' team's General Manager says. Abreha, Zerai and Stedman without contracts for 2025
Q36.5 Pro Cycling General Manager Doug Ryder has confirmed the news broken by Global Peloton that the team’s Italian-based development squad is set to close ahead of the 2025 season.
“We are one of the few Pro Tour teams with a U23 team and we have decided to align all our efforts in making the Pro Team successful, we struggled this year and that is our priority for now,” Ryder told us in a message last week.
The move comes as part of “restructuring” within the Q36.5 team organisation aimed at bolstering the fortunes of the Swiss ProTeam. It has been a lean year for Ryder’s squad with just four victories.
The team will also reduce in rider numbers for next season as they look to focus on quality to bring in those all important UCI points. They have already announced signings such as Emils Liepins and Sjoerd Bax from the WorldTour, while rumours have recently circulated about an audacious move for Tom Pidcock.
From the outset the team had set ambitions to make WorldTour level in its first few seasons, but lies more than 10,000 UCI points off the promotion places and is more than 5,000 points off the final 2025 wildcard place this year, held by Uno X Mobility.
Q36.5 rose from the ashes of Ryder’s previous team, the South African registered Team Qhubeka-Nexthash, which folded at the end of 2021. That team had been the launchpad for the majority of African male professionals currently in the peloton. African development has had less of an emphasis in the new team, but was still part of the focus for the soon to be no more development team.
Both young Africans who are registered to the team for this year are currently without a signed contract for 2025, Global Peloton understands. Eritrean Nahom Zerai was 11th at this year’s Tour de l’Avenir and South African sprinter Travis Stedman was recently second at the Ruota d'Oro.
Alongside the two youngsters, ProTeam rider Negasi Abreha has also been told that his contract will not be renewed. The Ethiopian is searching for a team for next season.
The South African did explain that the team continues to be involved with multiple development programmes and is “still very focused on creating hope and opportunities for young riders.”
Q36.5 are linked in with the Ace Trust in South Africa, which sponsors young people to attend TuksSport High School with daily training access to Q36.5 apparel and Scott bikes. The team also supports young Swiss talent through Sporthilfe.
The disappearing of the development team is a major blow to African cycling development, cutting off a major pathway trodden by so many African pros in the last decade. As to whether its closing will benefit the ProTeam, only time will tell.
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