Q36.5 Pro Cycling have signed Dutch puncheur Milan Vader from Visma-Lease a Bike for the 2025 season to bolster their climbing core.
Vader is currently racing in China defending his overall title at the Gree-Tour of Guangxi after scoring his career-best and only two professional victories there at the end of last season, in what will be his final race for Visma after three years.
Having signed a two-year deal with the Swiss Pro Team, Vader is hoping for more leadership opportunities and to develop his skills further as a road rider having switched focus away from mountain biking in 2022.
"I’m really motivated to join Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. If you look at the team, there’s a forward movement, the equipment is great and it looks super professional," said Vader.
"I’m very much looking forward to getting more of my own chances. I have a solid explosive sprint and can do really well in shorter races with an uphill finish.
"I proved that last year in Guangxi. I believe I will get more opportunities and more freedom to achieve what I really want: win races!"
Vader, 28, was informed by Visma in May that his contract wouldn't be getting extended, with the Dutchman agreeing that his talents didn't fit with the GC-focused ambitions of Visma-Lease a Bike going forward.
"I got a phone call somewhere in May saying they thought differently. But we actually agreed within half a minute. The qualities I have, we simply cannot play out well in this team," said Vader to Wielerflits while in China. "Or it does not fit in well with the objectives of the team. That is why we put an end to it together."
“I am not going to say that I am really a leader in the making. But I do have an explosive punch from mountain biking. In a team where we always ride for classifications with a whole bunch of other guys, that is simply difficult.
"To transform me into a domestique to ride at the front all day, that is a waste of my qualities, the team thought."
Vader is the sixth incoming transfer confirmed for Q36.5 for next season, alongside Sjoerd Bax (UAE Team Emirates), Enekoitz Azparren (Euskaltel-Euskadi), David González (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Emīls Liepiņš (DSM-Ffirmenich PostNL) and Harm Vanhoucke (Lotto Dstny).
Having taken fully to road racing late, Vader's career stalled in 2022 when he suffered life-threatening injuries at Itzulia Basque Country, however, he's worked to get things back on track and the Swiss team believe he has much more potential to be extracted.
"With a strong foundation in cross-country mountain biking, Milan has made remarkable strides since transitioning to road cycling. His explosive climbing skills will be a key asset to our team," said Doug Ryder, General Manager of Q36.5.
"Milan’s journey, especially his inspiring recovery from a serious crash two years ago, speaks to his resilience and determination. We believe he’s just at the start of an extraordinary road cycling career and we look forward to achieving great things together in the years ahead."
