"It’s like going to Real Madrid" — New Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter cannot wait to start the 2026 season

Italian sprinter Alberto Dainese will ride for a new team in 2026. Despite remaining winless in 2025, Soudal - Quick-Step signed him to add even more firepower to the sprinters section, which is already packed with loads of talent. He is thus making the jump from the ProTour level with Tudor Pro Cycling Team to the WorldTour.

A few days ago, Dainese travelled to Turnhout in Belgium, to Soudal’s research and development headquarters, for a three-day meeting as is customary nowadays. There he met his new teammates, coaches, and staff. He shared his first impressions with bici.pro.

“We went to Belgium and all met together: athletes, sports directors, part of the staff. The first day I took the measurements for the bike, I did the bike fitting. Then I met trainers and nutritionists. The next day I met the other part of the staff: mental coach, doctors, masseurs…” Dainese explained.

When asked about his impressions, he said: “It all seems good to me, professional, more meticulous than I thought, which is a good thing. We also did a tour of the Soudal headquarters. We were not at the team’s service course.”

On the location, Dainese added: “It’s a modern structure. We were in the actual Soudal headquarters, not at the service course where the team’s warehouse is, but at Soudal’s main site, which has several branches. We toured the company. We went to what was the first production plant for silicones, adhesives, and sealants. It’s nice that you can actually touch the reality of the company. And I have to say, I really enjoyed seeing the Soudal workers.”

When asked if they recognised the riders, he replied: “Yes of course, some more than others… They especially knew the Belgian riders. But we were kept quite separate. Also because we were in the research and development department. They didn’t come to disturb us, and we didn’t disturb them. But yes, some stopped you, and it was nice.”

During the visit, Dainese had the chance to meet several of his new teammates, though the schedule left little time for long conversations. “In those days we didn’t go cycling, we stayed two nights and three days in the end. Between the trip and the meetings, the actual working days were two. As I said, we did visits, measurements, meetings, physical tests… For example, they evaluated the difference in strength between one leg and the other with a squat test. I only took an hour one morning because I went running with Filippo Zana,” he said.

Dainese also discussed his new trainer. “He’s Belgian and will coach all four Italians… so he’ll have to start learning Italian from now until the end of the year! He seems smart. We’ve already seen two or three things to implement and improve compared to this year. Especially considering that I came from a season with two major injuries, and it was quite tough. I suffered a bit from what my 2024 was and from a preparation that didn’t account for the training hours I missed the previous year.”

“Probably this year I will train a bit more," he continued. "But I’m motivated, I also want to redeem myself after two underwhelming seasons because since I had that terrible crash [referring to the accident that happened last winter in Calpe] I haven’t been back to my level. It’s no coincidence that I’m already back on the bike. I took two weeks off, even though I still went running, but as I said, I’ve already been back on the bike for six days. And the sensations seem good to me.”

He also talked about meeting his fellow sprinters, Tim Merlier and Paul Magnier, who are currently two of the best sprinters in the world, and whether he is ready to work for them.

"It’s definitely stimulating to be with people of that calibre. I can’t wait to measure myself against them from the first training camp. They are the first and second sprinters in the world for the number of wins this year, so if I’ll have a shared calendar, I’ll also be ready to help. That also motivates me. And then I’ll do a third calendar and try to do well. One thing is certain: here we race to win, and that’s a mentality I like. It’s different from other environments. The only thing that matters is finishing first.”

When asked if he had already spoken to Merlier and Magnier, he said: “Briefly, there were so many people to meet that it was hard to talk to them, also because they were quite busy. We knew each other from having exchanged a few quick words in the peloton, but nothing more.”

Speaking enthusiastically, Dainese described what struck him most: the famous wolfpack mentality. “The mentality. The mentality is what makes the difference. You can feel this will to win. For a classics hunter or a sprinter like me, it’s like going to Real Madrid… where you expect to win every match. You race to win, and this drives the whole team and all the staff. This has always impressed and fascinated me, even before, when I saw them from the outside. You already feel part of something, of the famous Wolfpack… You can say: I race in the Wolfpack. They race united: all for one, one for all.”

About sports director Davide Bramati, Dainese commented: “I’m happy with him. I didn’t know him well, but he seems like a very good leader. He gives you energy… He follows us, he cares, he gives the right advice: Brama is very present in the team. They told me he’s been in this group for 30 years. He will be the reference sports director for us Italians [Dainese, Garofoli, Raccagni and Zana]”

As for his 2026 season, Dainese confirmed he will start very early. “For now, I know I’ll start from Australia. Imagine, they asked me how I would take it if they sent me right away to the Down Under. And I answered: ‘I was going to ask you that myself!’ So I’m happy to start right away.”