David de la Cruz signs with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and changes goals into 2024: "I'm going to take it in a different way than in recent years"

David de la Cruz will ride the 2024 season in the Swiss team Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. After two years with Astana Qazaqstan Team and a very eventful 2024 season, the Catalan has finally found a contract into the upcoming season.

The veteran Catalan cyclist has confirmed his signing in the newspaper Marca: "In the end it was all very quick. It all started with the contact with Alex Sans. I already had a lot of relationship with him from my beginnings, when I was part of NetApp, where I coincided with him. They presented the project to me and it was simple. I am very satisfied with this agreement."

He assures that he also had conversations with World Tour teams, but that the project that most adapted to what he was looking for was that of Q36.5: "I spoke with several teams, also in the World Tour category. Out of respect I will keep them to myself. From what I had talked about, what I was most excited about was this project. There weren't many doubts in this regard. I didn't have to think about it too much".

He talks about the Spaniards he will have as teammates, Xabier Azparren and Maercel Camprubi: "I've heard good things about Marcel. Soon we will know each other. With Xabier Mikel we already coincided in the Spanish Championship in 2021. We were at the hotel chatting a bit. I will also be with other acquaintances like Sans or Brambilla, with whom I was in Quick Step. And also with the mechanic Joaquín Sobrino, with whom I was in Caja Rural. With Douglas, the manager, we have also had contacts in the past".

In 2023 his calendar was focused on Tour and Vuelta and, despite an initial high-level performance in both races, he ended up dropping out and experiencing a very complicated year. His 2024 calendar will be somewhat broader:

"There is an ambitious calendar with races like Tirreno, Romandie, Switzerland, and also several top level races like the UAE Tour. I would like to do a top-level calendar. The Swiss races motivate me and the team too, because it's Swiss. I'm going to take it in a different way than in recent years. In 2023 I went all out for the Tour and LaVuelta. I had a crash and an illness and it seems a bit of an empty year because you have focused the whole season on that. It seems that the year is a bit dark. I want to approach it in the best possible way".

Article written by Juan Larra.