Among the ProTeams, there is a mix of ambition and strategy to move up to the WorldTour level, the pinnacle of road cycling. One of the teams that has been in the spotlight is Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, an ambitious Swiss project that has caught the attention of the cycling community. However, the team has made it clear that it is in no rush to acquire a UCI WorldTour license anytime soon.
Aart Vierhouten, team manager, recently explained that Q36.5 Pro Cycling has no intention of making the jump to the WorldTour in 2024, as he believes it would be too soon. This approach, rather than rushing towards an elite license, is based on a gradual and planned development strategy.
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The idea behind Q36.5 Pro Cycling is a long-term project that has been patiently building. The team has set out a six-year plan, starting from its inception, with the intention of growing step by step in financial and sporting terms. According to Vierhouten, the main ambition is to be among the top three ProTeams by the end of 2025.
"Only after the fourth year, i.e. in 2026, is there the ambition to advance to WorldTour level. By 2028, that has to be a reality anyway. We want our riders to grow towards that, just like Alpecin-Deceuninck did very naturally," the team manager explained. This gradual development perspective focused on the growth of its riders reflects a strategic approach to sports management that values the preparation and adaptation time of cyclists before they make the leap to the highest level of professional cycling.
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One of the reasons Q36.5 Pro Cycling has been at the center of talks is its financial backing. The main investor behind the team is Ivan Glasenberg, whose net worth is estimated at $8.8 billion according to Forbes. In addition, last summer, Glasenberg acquired the Pinarello bicycle brand for €200 million, leading to speculation about his possible foray into the WorldTour through his association with the team.
However, the decision not to make the jump to the WorldTour in the short term is a sign of Q36.5 Pro Cycling's commitment to its long-term strategic plan and the desire to build a solid and sustainable team before facing the demands of the top tier of world cycling.
While the team remains firm in its decision not to seek a WorldTour license in 2024, it continues to keep a close eye on the situation in the cycling world, particularly possible mergers and moves in other teams. The focus is on gradual growth and providing opportunities for its riders while building a strong and competitive team on the international stage.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026
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