Madis Mihkels

In his first season with our squad, 21-year-old Madis Mihkels wants to turn the promising results he earned in his first two years as a pro into big wins. Madis's favorite races are the northern classics. He loves competing in the wind and muck in Belgium and France and flies over the cobblestones. In 2024, he raced into the top-ten at Paris-Roubaix. He thrives at high speed, brushing elbows with his competitors on the roughest, smallest roads. But Madis' ambitions will never stop after he's rounded the last corner of the Roubaix velodrome. He wants to go for wins throughout the year. One-day races, stages in the biggest tours—he wants to cross their finish lines first. He has already won stages at the Deutschland Tour and the Tour of Estonia. He rode his first Giro last season, finished on the podium at the European championships, and raced the Olympics. Now, he wants to step up his game.

Madis honed his speed on the BMX track, where he raced until he was 15. He's always been an athlete. He started competitive swimming at four years old and did all kinds of sports when he was a kid. He was pretty good at them all, but it was on a bike that he started to dream of being great.

Madis balances his need for speed and rough-and-tumble racing with a quiet life in Estonia. He was born and raised in Tartu and, despite his home country's harsh winters, still opts to live there, though he has recently moved to Tallinn, the capital. He enjoys spinning out into the forests on his bike, passing lakes and rivers on quiet, smooth, nearly car-free roads. Before the thermometer dips too far below freezing and the snowplows come out, he can always escape somewhere warm. As soon as the ice is gone, he wants to go home, where he can fish for pike in fresh, clean water.

Fun Facts

How did you get into cycling?
My father advised me to try it, so I did and fell in love with the sport.

What is your favorite climb?
The Oude Kwaremont in Belgium. I love cobbles and the amazing crowds there during the race.

When a race gets tough, what do you tell yourself?
That its tough for everybody and I just need to survive.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would love to see some countries in Africa or go to the USA.

If you weren't a professional cyclist, what would you be?
I have never thought about it and for now I’ll keep it that way.

Who is your favorite athlete?
I admired his strength and skills on the bike as well as his fun mentality.

Think about your best teammate ever. What was the quality in them that you appreciated?
100 percent loyalty, always helpful and happy to sacrifice himself for the team. Great friend of mine.

What is your favorite pump-up song?
Backbone by Stormzy

Giro, Tour, or Vuelta?
Tour. It is every cyclist’s dream race.

What is your favorite word in your native language?
“Öö.” It means night, and it's funny because it is just two of the same letters in a row and it actually means something.

Date of birth: 5/31/2003
Hometown, Country: Tartu, Estonia
Languages: English, Estonian
Nicknames: Beavis