Two days after cutting ties with his Ineos Grenadiers team, Tom Pidcock officially signed with Q36.5, putting an end to the dominant drama of this racing off-season and signing a three-year deal with Doug Ryder’s UCI ProTeam.
The 25-year-old had looked poised to make the switch to Q36.5 six weeks ago, before movement slowed and Pidcock appeared at Ineos’ November camp, seemingly showing he would be staying at the British team for 2025. But in an abrupt about-face on Wednesday, Ineos announced that Pidcock would leave the team by mutual agreement.
The move will mean a change of bike for Pidcock, at least for one season. Despite the strong ties between Pidcock and Ineos’ bike supplier Pinarello, Q36.5’s current bike partner Scott has told Escape Collective it is locked in with the team until at least the end of 2025. Meanwhile, Ineos Grenadiers’ current deal with Pinarello expires at the end of 2025. Q36.5’s financial backer, South African mining billionaire Ivan Glasenberg, reportedly bought Pinarello last year in a deal said to be worth €250 million.
Pidcock’s three-year Q36.5 contract replaces his Ineos deal that also ran until the end of 2027. Contract buyouts or compensation arrangements are common in these situations, although we reported Pidcock was apparently due bonuses reportedly over €1 million for his Amstel Gold Race and Olympic mountain bike victories, which could have changed the monetary equation somewhat.
Q36.5, named after its eponymous cycling clothing brand sponsor, was launched as a second division ProTeam in 2023 led by long-time cycling team manager Doug Ryder and Pidcock’s signing signals a statement from intent from the upstart team. Pidcock will immediately headline a roster of experienced riders, many of whom have spent time in the WorldTour, but the team may struggle to support him to the level that Ineos did. Unlike at Ineos, there will likely be zero question about which rider leads the team.
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