Q36.5 has completely lost its African roots, team boss Ryder is brutally honest: "This isn’t about charity"

Q36.5 Pro Cycling is making significant strides, especially with the addition of Tom Pidcock. Doug Ryder's team has ambitions to eventually reach the WorldTour, but this progress has come at the expense of its past. Originally founded as MTN Qhubeka, the team had strong African roots. Today, not a single African rider is part of the roster. Team boss Ryder addressed the shift.

"Our focus is still on Africa," he explained to journalists, including Daniel Benson. "We had many African riders on our team and opened doors for African cycling. Biniam Girmay was 13 when we brought Daniel Teklehaimanot to the Tour de France, a race that, in his eyes, showed the potential of what cycling can achieve. In that sense, we accomplished a lot." However, team manager Kevin Campbell observed the disbanding of Q36.5’s development squad, which significantly reduced opportunities for African talent, prompting him to raise the alarm at the time.

Teklehaimanot wore the polka-dot jersey for five days during the 2015 Tour de France. He was one of five African riders who started in Utrecht that year. The team later worked its way up to the WorldTour, but it eventually dropped back down. With new sponsors and a revamped identity, its African heritage has all but disappeared. "Unfortunately, there’s just a lack of quality at the moment," Ryder admitted. "As people know, we have major sponsors backing us, and the sport has changed. It's about business, not charity."

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Daniel Teklehaimanot, the cult hero of the 2015 Tour de France

Pidcock's arrival sparks big changes: "The Giro would be amazing, of course"

The South African team boss highlighted the sport’s evolution as a key reason for the shift. "In the past, we could create major opportunities for riders because the sport was different. If I started an African team now, would it be successful? No. Would people care? It’s about points, and it's about rankings." Securing those points requires big names like Pidcock. "Signing a rider like Tom is a game-changer for us. We know that races want certain riders. It’s always a challenge for a ProTeam."

Ryder aims to compete in all major races, but his primary goals are clear. "We want to ride the Grand Tours. We’re the only team in the top 25 that hasn’t ridden a Grand Tour in the last two years. That’s a huge goal for us." The arrival of Pidcock is a blessing for the entire team, according to Ryder. "It gives all our riders a chance to compete at the highest level. Tom has a three-year contract, so we have long-term goals."

Q36.5 is already pushing for a Grand Tour spot this year, with the Giro d’Italia being the most realistic target. "We’ve put our name forward for all three, but the Giro would be amazing, of course. We have Italian partners, and we’re a Swiss team. We also want to race the Vuelta. Tom attended the presentation in December to show his commitment. By 2026, we’re eager to race the Tour de France." The team’s British leader still harbors ambitions for GC results. "If we go to the Giro, we’ll likely target stages first, then build towards a GC focus for the Vuelta. That’s our ambition. We believe he has potential there."

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