The 19-year-old will ride his first U23 season with our feeder team.
Bogdan Zabelinskiy is the latest rider added to the roster of Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team ahead of the start of the season, taking the total number of riders for this year to fifteen. The son of Olga Zabelinskaya (one of the most decorated female riders of all time, winner of three medals at the Olympic Games) and grandson of multiple Tour de l’Avenir and Peace Race winner Sergei Sukhoruchenkov, Bogdan will make his debut in the U23 rankings together with our feeder team.
Just 19 years of age, Bogdan – who represents Cyprus – impressed for the first time two years ago, when he won the Gran Fondo Cyprus stage race after putting in a remarkable display, culminating with his victory on the final stage when he rode away from everyone on the climbs and sealed his overall win, despite entering the final day in fifth overall. In 2023, his last season as a junior, Bogdan took two victories and turned heads with his strong display at the Chrono des Nations.
“It was my childhood dream to become a cyclist, and seeing my mother compete in so many races and win was a huge inspiration for me. Saying I am happy to join this team would be an understatement. I’ve always admired the Wolfpack, and being a rider who likes the Classics and the time trials I feel I have made the best decision to ride for the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team this year. I’m looking forward to developing in this strong environment and to enjoying racing as much as possible”, said Bogdan.
Devo Team Manager Bart Roosens reflected on the signing of Zabelinskiy: “We are very pleased to have Bogdan on the team. He is very strong and his results from physical tests are positive. Both his parents used to be good cyclists, so if he got the genes of them, we will see a nice future in cycling.”