Mark Donovan (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) has signed a two-year contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike, joining from 2027 to support its leaders in the mountains and stage races. The British climber’s move was confirmed on October 2.
The 27-year-old has been a professional since 2020, spending his first seasons with the team now known as Picnic PostNL before joining Q36.5 in 2023. He will leave after four seasons with the team and becomes Visma’s second new recruit for 2027.
“Team Visma | Lease a Bike is one of the best teams in the world, so when they come and ask you to join the team, there is no need to think twice,” Donovan said.
“I’ve been in the professional peloton for quite some time now and the past few years I’ve been able to develop and find out the type of rider I am, so making the step into this team really feels like the right moment for me and I am really excited to see how much I can develop in this structure and which steps I will be able to take.”
“I think Mark will fit very well into the way we approach racing,” said Visma’s Head of Racing Marc Reef. “He has shown in recent seasons that he is a very reliable and versatile rider who can be relied upon in different situations, and he has the ability to perform when the level of the race is high.”
Donovan has finished in the top 15 at five stage races in 2026: third at the Sibiu Cycling Tour, ninth at the Tour of Britain, 12th at the Arctic Race of Norway and 14th at both the Tour de Pologne and AlUla Tour.
The appeal appears to be consistency rather than headline climbing results for now. Visma is adding depth around its leaders, but the sentiment around the signing seems to be that Donovan can still raise his level.
“We see that being particularly valuable for us in stage races, where he can play an important role around our leaders,” Reef said. “We also believe there is still some untapped potential that we are excited to develop together, as he is still only 27.”
Donovan won the Sibiu Cycling Tour in 2023, securing both his first professional victory and Q36.5’s first stage-race win. He entered the final stage of the four-day, five-stage race two seconds behind the leader and finished fifth on the day to take the overall title by eight seconds.
“While being part of a Grand Tour winning team, I hope to be able to continue to show my consistency and hope to add my part in helping the team to win races,” Donovan said.
Donovan has started five Grand Tours. At the Giro d’Italia in May, he finished 38th overall and took fifth and 10th places on individual stages.
