Soudal-QuickStep continue post-Evenepoel rebuild with Dainese signing

Alberto Dainese will ride for Soudal-QuickStep next year after signing a two-year deal with the squad. The Italian arrives from Tudor Pro Cycling, where he has spent the past two seasons.

Soudal-QuickStep confirmed last week that Remco Evenepoel will leave at the end of this season to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and the signing of Dainese is the latest part of the rebuild that is taking place at the Belgian team.

Dainese has won seven races as a professional, with three of them coming on Grand Tours. He won stages of the Giro d’Italia in 2022 and 2023, and he added a Vuelta a España stage victory in 2023. His last win was a stage of the Région Pays de la Loire Tour last year.

“I have been dreaming about joining the Wolfpack since I was a kid. I remember watching the team on the TV and being impressed by their mentality and winning culture, and I’m really happy to finally get this opportunity and ride for Soudal-QuickStep from next year,” Dainese said in a statement on Wednesday. “I would like to bring my contribution to as many victories as possible for the team and live some great moments together with the squad.”

The 27-year-old will buttress a sprint department that is led by European champion Tim Merlier, but CEO Jurgen Foré suggested that Dainese can also play a part in reinforcing Soudal-QuickStep’s cobbled Classics unit.

“He can also show how strong he is in some demanding one-day races, including the Belgian semi-classics,” Foré said. “Together, we can aim for some beautiful things in the next two years.”

Dainese is Soudal-QuickStep’s fifth new arrival for 2026 after Jasper Stuyven, Dylan van Baarle, Edward Planckaert and Jonathan Vervenne, who will step up from the development team.