Current XC Olympic champion and former world champion Tom Pidcock has announced he will be leaving Ineos Grenadiers at the end of this year. He has signed a three year contract with the catchily-named Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, and will continue to race a multi-disciplinary calendar. Interestingly, Pidcock will continue to use Pinarello bikes for off-road races, rather than Scott, which the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team has as its road bike supplier.

The Pinarello Dogma XC race bike has already won two Olympic gold medals

Why Pinarello for Pidcock?

During his time at Ineos Grenadiers, Pidcock has helped (alongside Pauline Ferrand-Prévot) to develop Pinarello’s off-road bikes. So far, he’s been instrumental in the introduction of three frames across cyclocross and XC MTB disciplines, including the Dogma XC, which both he and Ferrand-Prévot rode to Olympic victory earlier this year. When Guy tested the Dogma XC at its launch last spring, he came away with even more respect for Pidcock’s skills – “it’s an intense experience to pilot”, he said, that left him “feeling queasy from frazzled nerves” at the end of the ride. Clearly Pidcock is extremely comfortable on the rapid rig, but it seems to be a thoroughbred stallion built for Olympic Champions rather than mere mortals.

In a statement released by Pidcock, he said that “the past four years has been a privilege,” and that all three of the frames “exceeded expectations from the moment I sat on them.”

Pinarello released a similar comment, and also included a reference to him racing on their gravel bikes, which he hasn’t done previously. Pidcock’s multi-disciplined approach to racing makes him a unique rider and so far seems to have worked in his favour, with a pretty impressive palmarès across road, cyclocross and mountain biking.

But perhaps what’s most interesting is that he’s not gone with his new team’s sponsors, Scott, for his off-road racing. Famously, they’re one of the most successful brands in XC racing with former world champions Kate Courtney and Nino Schurter aboard their Spark RC. Although, before Pinarello launched its mountain bikes, Pidcock reportedly tested all the leading XC race frames, including the Scott Spark, and chose the BMC Fourstroke instead. So perhaps he’s not a fan of Scott’s highly successful race frame?

His 2025 schedule is yet to be announced, and he has yet to commit to a cyclocross season this winter, but we’re sure we’ll see him back on a knobbly tyred bike pretty soon.

(Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images) Pidcock and his medal-winning Dogma XC

Statements

You can read Pidcock’s full statement below:

“Working with Fausto and the team at Pinarello over the past four years has been a privilege, and a really enjoyable experience. I am so happy I get to stay working with them on everything off-road moving forwards.

So far, we have developed three cyclo-cross and XC MTB frames together and all of them exceeded expectations from the moment I sat on them, I could not have asked for more. I felt so confident on them that I was able to race and win after the first couple of rides.

To me, our relationship feels more like a partnership than a sponsorship. I’m looking forward to the next three years of racing and developing more great bikes with Pinarello.”

Pinarello’s statement is also below:

“We’re thrilled to confirm Tom will continue racing on our cyclo-cross, cross-country mountain bike and gravel bikes. He is an amazing rider with phenomenal technical skills and it’s been a pleasure working with him on the Crossista and Dogma XC, both models in segments where we hadn’t had bikes for a long time.

Tom is a rider who knows what he wants. His unwavering pursuit of excellence has challenged us a lot and enabled us to produce three incredible frames which he’s ridden to success on the grandest stages in the sport. We are delighted to keep this successful collaboration alive.”