"As a leader, Tom is someone who knows exactly what he wants" - Milan Vader on how 'super loyal' Pidcock can lead Q36.5 to Giro d'Italia success

As a former Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider, Milan Vader has raced under the leadership of some of the biggest stars of the modern peloton over the course of his career so far. Now at the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, the Dutchman is riding in service of Tom Pidcock at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, someone Vader has clearly been very impressed by in their time together so far.

“Originally, I was listed as a reserve for the Giro, but I knew something could happen. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I kept it in mind, but exactly one week before the Giro started, I got the confirmation,” Vader, himself, like Pidcock, a new signing for the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in 2025, tells IDL Pro Cycling. "None of it really surprises me, but you can feel there’s just a bit more going on around it. It’s really fun. What are the differences? Just a bit more serious, a bit more attention to everything.”

“My preparation went well, but I’m not setting the bar too high for myself. I’m just going to ride to Rome. For a first time, that’s already quite something,” Vader continues. “And of course we have two clear team leaders (Pidcock and Matteo Moschetti ed.), so in the stages where I can be of help, I’ll just do my best for them.”

As mentioned, Vader is primarily in a supporting role for Pidcock at this Giro d'Italia - the first Grand Tour of the 29-year-old Dutchman's career. With both Vader and Pidcock having multi-discipline success on their respective palmares' they are also relatively similar riders. “We didn’t really know each other from mountain biking, but Tom was always someone I’d chat with in the peloton," explains Vader. "That probably comes from the shared background we have in MTB.”

“Our connection is good, and we have a lot in common," Vader continues, confident that Pidcock can lead the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team to a successful Giro d'Italia this year. "As a leader, Tom is someone who knows exactly what he wants. His focus is incredibly sharp, and he can really commit to his goals. You have to let him do his thing, because that’s when he performs best. Around that, he’s super loyal and really cares about his teammates. It shows in the little things. Of course, he gets a lot of attention, but he tries to share that with his teammates too. More like: they deserve recognition as well.”

And as for his own levels, Vader is keen to take things day by day. “The climbing legs are okay, but I’m not really thinking about that final week yet," he concludes honestly. "In a Grand Tour, it’s always a matter of taking it day by day, I think.”