Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team

Matteo Moschetti

Damien Howson

Jannik Steimle

Rory Townsend

Gianluca Brambilla

Mark Donovan

Fabio Christen

David de la Cruz

Nickolas Zukowsky

Giacomo Nizzolo

Matteo Badilatti

Walter Calzoni

Kamil Malecki

Nicolò Parisini

Carl Fredrik Hagen

Joey Rosskopf

Tobias Ludvigsson

James Whelan

Marcel Camprubí

Alessandro Fancellu

Frederik Frison

Filippo Conca

Negasi Haylu Abreha

Xabier Azparren

Szymon Sajnok

Cyrus Monk

Tom Devriendt

Tech

News

Tech News

Magnetic clasp, clip-on light, and aero savings in Scott's new Cadence Plus helmet

Scott has unveiled details of its new top-end road helmet, the Cadence Plus, which has received an aero upgrade including a significant improvement in crosswinds.

The new Cadence Plus has already been used by Scott-sponsored teams such as dsm-firmenich-PostNL in the 2024 season but the Switzerland-based brand has now revealed the details and thinking behind the helmet.

The helmet wasn’t remodelled in the single-minded pursuit of aero optimisation, with a magnetic buckle and a clip-on rear light part of a drive to give the helmet a “more modern” feel, but it does come with a claimed 5.2% decrease in drag coefficient.

The main change is that the five vents on the helmet have been reduced in size, the three in the centre not extending so far up the top of the head, while the two side vents have been scaled right down. This ties into Scott’s claim that the helmet reduces drag in 15-degree crosswinds by a whopping 22% compared to its predecessor.

Scott also looked closely at internal airflow when redesigning the vents, and a 10% reduction in volume allowed them room for manoeuvre on the inside of the helmet. This is mainly due to the use of the MIPS Air Node, a minimalistic version of MIPS’ low-friction linings designed to reduce forces on the head upon impact. The rear of the helmet has also been revamped and opened up, going from two small openings on the side and a closed centre to a much more open rear.

All in all, Scott’s wind tunnel testing produced a claimed saving of one watt versus the old Cadence helmet, tested at a speed of 43km/h with no head inclinations. That equates to a saving of 10 seconds over 40km. If you want to shave even more time - two watts and 16 seconds over 40km at 40km/h - there are plugs for the vents available to purchase separately.

Aside from the aero savings, the helmet features a couple of interesting innovations, primarily the use of a magnetic clasp for the strap, instead of a buckle. The more open rear has also been designed to accommodate a clip on rear light, adding to the helmet’s safety credentials.

The overall weight of the helmet has dropped by a few grams, despite the reduction in vent sizes, largely due to the new MIPS Air Node lining.

“What makes it tricky when developing a helmet like this is bringing the best balance between aerodynamics, safety and the technologies that are available to you. Here with this new Cadence Plus, we were really able to find the sweet spot,” said Scott’s chief engineer, Louis Bradier.

Designer Christian Holweck added: “We really focused on how to actually merge the outside and inside shell, so that no matter if you change slightly the position of your head, or if you're riding in more cross-wind situations, the helmet will just perform even better."

Racing

Race News

Critérium du Dauphiné route revealed with five defining uphill finishes

 director Christian Prudhomme revealed the route of the 

 on Thursday in Lyon, with five uphill finishes sure to delight fans who are looking forward to a showdown between the best climbers in the world.

Of the main favourites for the Tour de France only 

 (UAE Team Emirates) will not be present at the Dauphiné, with 

 (Bora-Hansgrohe) all set to begin the race in the town of Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule on 2 June.

For the defending champion Vingegaard, the route will leave him confident of finding success at the Dauphiné for the third year in succession, after he finished runner-up behind then-teammate Roglič in 2022.

Beginning in the department of Allier for the first time in its 77-year history, the 2024 Dauphiné is eight stages long, consisting of five uphill finishes, two sprint finishes and one 34.4km individual time trial.

It will likely be a sprinter who will take the race’s first yellow jersey, with a flat 174.8km-long opening stage beginning and ending in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, but then the puncheurs and GC riders will come to the fore before another sprint finish on stage 5. Between the start of stage 6 in Hauterives and the finish atop Plateau des Glières to close the race, the battle for the overall victory will be decided in the mountains.

Challenging the likes of Vingegaard, Roglič and Evenepoel, race organisers ASO speculate that 

 (Lidl-Trek) could all be lining up at this year’s race. The full list of teams was revealed a couple of weeks ago, with 

Uno-X Mobility and TotalEnergies return to 2024 Tour de France as wildcards

Might one of these riders win the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné?

Where the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné will be won: unpacking five uphill finishes

As the last major week-long stage race before the Tour de France, the Critérium du Dauphiné always attracts one of the best startlists of the year, features riders nearing top form, and consists of a tough route put on by  organisers ASO. This year, however, it seems like the race organisers have taken things up a notch, with a route that spans 1,203.8km and has a whopping five uphill finishes.

That is not to say the sprinters have been completely forgotten, with stage 1 containing no climbs for the final 130km and almost destined to finish in the race’s first bunch sprint. The same fast men will have their chance once again on stage 5 between Amplepuis and Saint-Priest. There may be four categorised climbs on the route, but none of these are particularly arduous and the kilometre-long finishing straight should tempt a showdown between the sprint trains on the outskirts of Lyon.

The other six stages, however, will have all eyes squarely on the GC contenders, who look set to clash in a battle for the ages in advance of the Tour de France.

The first opportunity for the contenders to land blows on one another will come on stage 2 to Col de la Loge, which is the shortest non-time trial stage of the race at 142km, but packs in 25km of climbing to end this brutal test. Leading to the summit of the Col de la Loge will be the Côte de Saint-Georges-en-Couzan (7km at 5.8%) and the Col de la Croix Ladret (3,1km at 6.1%), making this second day one of the toughest of the race.

A battle between the puncheurs and climbers should ensue once again on stage 3 between Celles-sur-Durolle and Les Estables, which is the longest of the stages that finish uphill. The 181.2km-long stage begins in the Puy de Dôme department, but will not venture up the iconic climb, instead heading for the cat-3 finish atop Les Estables (3.8km at 5.2%).

Any time gaps between the contenders at this point in the race will be exacerbated in the stage 4 individual time trial, which is pretty much pan-flat between Saint-Germain-Laval and Neulise. 

Remco Evenepoel unveils Tour de France focused race programme

After the stage 5 sprint finish, the finale of the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné will come in three successive uphill finishes in the Alps, beginning with the summit finish atop Le Collet d’Allevard. The Col du Granier (8.9km at 5.4%) will provide a prelude midway through stage 6, but the fireworks should arrive on the hors catégorie summit finish, which stands at 8.1% for 11.1km.

The penultimate stage will also finish atop a hors-catégorie climb, but will be preceded by four category-1 climbs in the Haute-Savoie department. Finishing up the Montée de Samoëns 1600 (10km at 9.3%), stage 7 will also include the Col de Saisies (9.4km at 6.6%), the Col des Aravis (6.9km at 6.9%), the Col de la Colombière (11.6km at 5.8%) and the Côte d’Araches (6.1km at 7.1%).

To end one of the toughest editions of the Critérium du Dauphiné in history, stage 8 between Thônes and Plateau des Glières will contain four categorised climbs, the last of which stretches for 9.4km at 7.1%. The Plateau des Glières was also tackled in stage 10 of the 2018 Tour de France - remembered for featuring a gnarly stretch of gravel. However, the Dauphiné will tackle the climb from the same side as the 2013 Tour de l’Avenir, which saw 

Between Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule on 2 June and Plateau des Glières on 9 June, ASO has organised a route that promises some of the best racing of the year. 

Tour de France 2024: Analysing the contenders

 for all the latest news, including full details and analysis of the 2024 route.

Polti Kometa, Tudor Pro Cycling and Bardiani receive Giro d'Italia wildcards

After not being offered a wildcard for the 

 squad have received a highly sought-after wildcard invitation to this year's 

. They will be joined by Alberto Contador's 

, who will return to the race for a fourth successive season.

 have accepted their automatic invitation to ride the Giro, given their performance as a UCI ProTeam in 2023, but fellow ProTeam high-flyer 

 have declined the opportunity to ride in Italy. Much like last season, the Belgian team will instead prioritise gathering UCI points in smaller stage races. 

Lotto Dstny's absence has allowed the Giro's organisers, RCS Sport, to hand out three wildcard slots to this year's race. Joining Team Polti Kometa and Tudor Pro Cycling on the startlist will be the long-standing Italian outfit, 

These four sides will join the 18 UCI WorldTeams at the 

 in Turin on 4 May. Among the star-studded lineup that is expected to take to the Giro will be race debutants 

), both of whom have made their ambitions clear. 

Pogačar fulfils a childhood dream in riding the Giro d'Italia

Giro d'Italia debut awaits for Julian Alaphilippe

Both VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè and Team Polti Kometa are no strangers to the Giro d'Italia, with the former's history with the race dating back to their time as Termolan in 1982. Since their founding year, the Italian side have won many stages of the Giro through the likes of Patrizio Gamirasio (1988), Stefano Allochio (1990), Julio Alberto Pérez (2001, 2002), Brett Lancaster (2005) and most recently, 

Polti Kometa, meanwhile, won a famous stage atop Monte Zoncolan in 2021 through the young 

, in what was a Grand Tour debut for Contador's side. The name Polti, of course, is synonymous with the team that won the points and Intergiro classifications through Djamolidine Abdoujaparov in 1994. 

"Teams like ours have been talking about wild cards since the pre-season training camps," said Polti Kometa team manager and former Giro d'Italia winner, Ivan Basso. "To receive the invitation to the Giro and other prestigious events is a source of great pride, a reward for our continuity and our way of tackling the races beyond the results. 

"The Giro will be the centrepiece of the entire Polti Kometa calendar and we will ride it with the right mentality: attacking but in an organised way, to take advantage of every opportunity and reward the organisers, the fans, the sponsors… and ourselves for the trust placed in us".

It will be in Polti Kometa that Tudor Pro Cycling seeks inspiration in their first Grand Tour. The Swiss ProTeam have high ambitions and recently signed the likes of 

Matteo Trentin hopeful of Giro d’Italia wildcard for Tudor Pro Cycling 

Tuesday's announcement does, however, rule out a Giro d'Italia start for the much-beloved GW Shimano-Sidermec team of Gianni Savio. 

Startlists announced for Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo

 and Tuesday's Giro d'Italia startlist announcement, RCS Sport has also revealed the teams for its other high-profile WorldTour races in Italy, namely Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo. 

All three races will be made up of 25 teams of seven riders each, giving plenty of free slots for teams outside of the 18 UCI WorldTeams.

For Tirreno-Adriatico, this means Israel-Premier Tech, Team Polti Kometa, VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè and Tudor Pro Cycling will grace the startline, all of whom will be testing their level ahead of the Giro. Additionally, the race organisers have offered wildcard invites to 

Uno-X Mobility are riding high after being offered a wildcard spot in the Tour de France earlier this week, whilst their performances last season have also offered them an automatic spot at Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, owing to their ranking position. 

Automatic qualification will also see Israel-Premier Tech line up at all RCS races and offer Lotto Dstny a berth at Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo. 

Alongside Israel-Premier Tech, both Team Polti Kometa and Tudor Pro Cycling will line up at all four major races, whilst VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè will miss Strade Bianche. In their place, Q36.5 Pro Cycling and Corratec-Vini Fantini will take to the white roads of Tuscany, with the former also to be expected at Milan-San Remo. 

For all the important information about the 2024 Giro d'Italia, be sure to check out our 

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Name	Age	UCI Career Wins	UCI Points
Matteo Moschetti	27	17	618
Damien Howson	31	14	447
Jannik Steimle	28	14	383
Rory Townsend	28	5	364
Gianluca Brambilla	36	8	332

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team

The Team

Top Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team Stories

Magnetic clasp, clip-on light, and aero savings in Scott's new Cadence Plus helmet

Critérium du Dauphiné route revealed with five defining uphill finishes

Polti Kometa, Tudor Pro Cycling and Bardiani receive Giro d'Italia wildcards

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