Bolzano, Italy: Q36.5, a pioneer in technical cycling apparel, is launching a brand new women’s gravel cycling team.
Q36.5 is proud to announce a new Gravel Racing project for female athletes for 2026. Spearheaded by former National Marathon champion Alexis Skarda (USA), together with young riders Cassia Boglio (AUS/Spain), Maddy Nutt (UK/Spain), and Maaike Coljé (Belgium)
The new team allows Q36.5 to support athletes in some of the world’s most prestigious gravel races, such as The Traka and Unbound, but it also serves as an opportunity to push its innovative R&D department to new heights. Q36.5 will work closely with the four athletes to continue to improve women’s performance fit and create daring solutions to the specific demands of gravel racing in areas like aerodynamics at lower gravel racing speeds, thermoregulation over longer races, and on-body hydration.
All four athletes were drawn to Q36.5 thanks to its complete arsenal of high-performance clothing solutions, from professional rider-designed skinsuits, the highest quality winter training gear, and of course, its famous ‘Foul Weather’ system, marking a technological upgrade for all 4 riders.
Luigi Bergamo Q36.5 Founder: *‘Our ambition is first and foremost to support athletes the same way we support the Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team: with the most comprehensive and versatile high-performance kit in the peloton, the perfect marriage of thermoregulation, aerodynamics and comfort.
Just as important is the possibility to begin building a network of female ambassadors whose approach to high performance is more approachable and open than what is often possible in the hyper-professionalized world of World Tour road racing."
*
Riders will be equipped with much of the same clothing technology as Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team riders, including Dottore Pro and Dottore Clima skinsuits, offering the optimal balance of thermoregulation and aerodynamics in different conditions. The riders will also use the signature Dottore Pro bib shorts, Gregarius Clima jerseys, and the Foul Weather Thermal Racing system and winter training gear. The team’s racing livery features a bold but sophisticated colour scheme, combining a nautica blue Dottore Pro bib short with an acid yellow and white jersey that features the brand’s signature “radar” graphic. First debuted with Q36.5 Pro Cycling in 2025, the radar is the ultimate symbol of both focus and navigation under difficult conditions, a metaphor for Q36.5’s role in helping elite athletes find their way.
RIDER BIO’S:
Alexis Skarda
From Boulder, Colorado, Alexis is the most accomplished rider on the roster, with three national
champion titles in MTB Marathon and strong results across the US gravel scene. In 2026, Alexis
will take on Traka for the first time, Europe’s premier gravel event, bringing her experience from
races such as Leadville 100 and Unbound to the gravel roads of Girona.
Notable results:
2025 Life Time Grand Prix – 4th
2025 Big Sugar Gravel – 4th
2024 USAC Gravel Nationals – 4th
Maddy Nutt
The British rider from London fell in love with cycling through commuting to her finance job in
the City, before joining a club and being “forced” into her first gravel event. Since then, Maddy
has not looked back, going on to win a UCI Gravel Series event and secure top-10 finishes at the
biggest gravel races on the calendar. After finishing 7th at Traka 360 in 2025, Maddy is leaving
no stone unturned, seeking technical upgrades both on and off the bike as she targets Traka 560
and Unbound XL.
Notable results:
1st – UCI Gravel Series Safari Gravel (2024)
3rd - Migration Gravel Race GC (2024)
Cassia Boglio
From Perth, Australia, Cassia is a young rider still on her development journey, balancing a
program between gravel and road racing. In 2026, Cassia has built her own race calendar,
allowing her to focus on the events that matter most to her and where she believes she can
perform at her best.
Notable results:
3rd Australian Road Nationals (2025)
2nd – UCI Gravel Series SEVEN (2025)
Maaike Coljé
A 28-year-old athlete from the Netherlands, currently based in Germany, Maaike brings five
seasons of road racing experience, including the last three with Arkéa–B&B Hotels, where she first discovered gravel racing. Now shifting her full focus to the gravel peloton, her goal is to
transfer the engine and technical skills developed on the road to the biggest events on the gravel calendar. She is targeting races such as Unbound, where she believes she can make a real impact.
Notable results:
6th – UCI Gravel World Series WE, La Monsterrato