Former Giro stage winner reinforces Soudal - Quick-Step's climbing team

Filippo Zana will complete the Belgian team's lineup for 2026. After three seasons with Jayco AlUla, the 26-year-old Italian was not offered to continue with the Australian team despite a mutually successful collaboration between the two parties. A highlight of Zana's period with Jayco has to be the stage victory at the 2023 Giro d'Italia while wearing the tricolor of Italian champion (from year before). In Val di Zoldo, Zana outsprinter Thibaut Pinot to secure the greatest win of his career to this day.

We have seen Zana show glimpses of a promise as a decent GC rider when he spent much of the 2024 Giro in the top-10, only to drop down to 11th place in the final mountain stage. Besides that, the Italian has won the general classifications at Tour of Slovenia (2023), Czech Tour (2021) and Adriatica Ionica Race (2022), showcasing his ability to perform consistently across a week at a lower level.

Zana has some strong performances in one-day races too and that's perhaps where his greatest potential lies - in one-day efforts. With Soudal - Quick-Step, we can expect the former Italian champion to embrace the Wolfpack spirit and become a powerful tool in the Belgian team's hunt for next 1.000 professional victories.

"I see my move to Soudal Quick-Step as a fresh and beautiful challenge; one I’m really looking forward to. It’s a squad with an incredible history and it motivates me to be part of it for the next two years. I hope to grow and bring some nice victories, but I’m also determined to work together with my teammates for our goals and show why this team is one of the best in the world," Zana said in a press release.

It would seem as though Soudal - Quick-Step might lose their interest in building a capable climbing team with the departure of Remco Evenepoel, but that's not quite the case. Even with Mikel Landa, the Belgian team can aspire to be in the contention for Grand Tour podium in year(s) to come while Valentin Paret-Peintre, Ilan Van Wilder and Steff Cras are riders with the ability to be successful while hunting for stages.

Team manager Jurgen Foré said of Zana’s transfer to the team: "Filippo is someone who will strengthen our squad in stage races, but also in the hilly one-day races, where he has shown himself many times. From the talks that we had, we discovered he is very motivated to further develop and bring his contribution to the team’s success, and this makes us confident and excited for the next two seasons."