Pinarello Q36.5 and Soudal - Quick-Step battle to sign one of the most talented under-23 climbers
CyclingThursday, 03 September 2026 at 15:28
The transfer market is on fire and the last incredibly talented riders that remain without a signed contract for 2026 have several teams chasing down a potential generation-marking deal. Henrique Bravo of the Soudal - Quick-Step development team is turning pro in 2027, but Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team is looking to snatch the Brasilian rider away from his current team.
This comes as little surprise, taking into consideration the 20-year old's talent. A former mountain bike specialist, Bravo turned under-23 in 2025 with the Quick-Step structure in which he has been incredibly impressive. Whilst in his first year with the team he adapted and showed glimpses of being a quality climber; 2026 was a breakout year.
Bravo won a stage at the Tour du Rwanda to open up the race, and backed that up with a stage and GC win the following month at the Tour of Antalya - quickly building up a palmarès of pro wins at elite level.
Bravo highly featured at under-23 races
Bravo repeated the feat at Oberösterreich Rundfahrt and the Giro della Valle d'Aosta. With the elite team, he led the way at the Tour de l'Ain where he finished fourth in the overall classification.
However more impressively, the Brasilian rider was third at the under-23 Giro d'Italia and was fifth at the Tour de l'Avenir. He has, at age 20, proven to be a specialist in the stage-races, whilst his consistency and ability to win all year long makes him an incredibly valuable asset - and a rider with tremendous potential for the future.
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Quick-Step and Pinarello battle for Bravo's contract
Hence, in the year he moves into the elite ranks, Bravo's contract is one that is highly regarded. The pure climber has received an offer to link up with the Belgian team's elite ranks, but the process might not be so simple.
Wielerflits has reported that Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team has put in a hefty offer to try and sign Bravo. The Swiss team, although still not racing at World Tour level, is very quickly building up one of the teams with the highest potential in the peloton.
The signing of youngsters such as Andrew August, Tom Crabbe and Niels Driesen has already significantly bolstered the team's ambitions not only for the 2027 season, but also in the long-term. The team has signed multiple climbers over the past winter - and the current transfer market as well - and Bravo could be yet another addition to the Tom Pidcock-led team.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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