After Dunbar, Q36.5 signs another top climber from Jayco-AlUla: "This team is clearly on the rise"

Harper sees himself joining an ambitious project. “From the outside it’s clear this is a team on the up, with lots of ambition to perform at the World Tour level,” said the 30-year-old Australian on the website of his new team. “I am a late starter to the sport and feel like every year I am still progressing so being on a team where I am surrounded by passionate riders and staff who aim to improve on every level, appealed to me.”

The climber started his WorldTour career with Jumbo-Visma and, after three years with Jayco-AlUla, will now embark on his first adventure at the pro-Continental level. This year, he achieved his greatest victory with the stage win over the Colle delle Finestre in the Giro. “I consider that victory my highlight because it had been a challenging few weeks. I had gone into the Giro feeling strong but fell ill and lost the belief. I remember saying that morning that the stage would be for the GC guys but went in the break nonetheless. Throughout the day I felt better. Finishing off a Grand Tour like that is amazing.”

Team boss Ryder sees Harper as someone with experience, but also with room for growth. “Chris is a rider who progressed through the ranks at a steady pace, still improving every year even if he is not 20 anymore. He is an intelligent guy who feels he can benefit from all the professional expertise we have on the team. He based his choice on joining us on that and I am happy he did. Chris is a rider who races aggressively, senses the stages and races he has a chance in and goes all in. His win in the Giro is testament to his racing style. He has a lot of Grand Tour experience and fits right into our plans for the future.”