Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team shines at the Tour of Britain

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Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team shines at Tour of Britain

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team concluded a successful Tour of Britain, this Sunday, September 10th with Australian Damien Howson claiming an impressive 3rd place in the General Classification and his teammate Mark Donovan earning the title of Best British Rider after seizing 5th place in the overall standings.

11 September 2023

Howson delivered a remarkable performance during the eighth and final stage, crossing the finishing line in Caerphilly in 3rd place. His determination throughout the race paid off as he ended just 3 seconds behind the overall race winner, Wout van Aert. It was the 31-year-old Australian’s first GC podium of the season after taking 4th overall in both Vuelta Asturias and Vuelta a Burgos.

“It was a hard stage with a hard finishing circuit. The pace was really high but, luckily for me, I had good legs and I’m very happy with this result! I’m really thankful to the team, the boys gave me and Mark the best support and this has truly been a successful week! Last month I proved in Burgos that I could stay with some of the best climbers in the world on longer efforts and this week we had 3, 4, 5 minute climbs and to be able be up there, when we have one of the best riders in the world in these type of efforts in the likes of Wout van Aert, is very motivating,” said Damien Howson.

Meanwhile, racing on home turf, Mark Donovan, who had already made a mark with his stellar performance in a breakaway on the penultimate stage, secured a respectable 5th place in the General Classification. This notable achievement also earned him the prestigious Best British Rider accolade—a significant milestone that marked a vast improvement from his previous best result at Tour of Britain.

“It was a bit of a slow burner in terms of the race for the first week but it definitely kicked off in the last couple of days with me and Damo finishing strongly. I’m really happy! Two years ago I finished 9th on the GC and this year I stepped up and took a top-5 with was really nice. Hopefully next time I can finish on that podium and, who knows, maybe take the big win,” said Mark Donovan.

In a fitting culmination to a week of exhilarating racing at the Tour of Britain, the entire Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team squad stood together on the podium in Caerphilly, as the winner of the Best Team Classification.