"He didn’t have that kind of freedom and trust" - Pinarello Q36.5 manager on Tom Pidcock's evolution after INEOS departure

Tom Pidcock was part of INEOS Grenadiers from 2021 to 2024 and although he achieved a lot, his consistency is now on a sky-high level with Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and his level is the highest its ever been. It is the opposite of a traditional evolution in the sport, but one that has its reasons, as team leader Doug Ryder explains.

“Tom has improved our whole organization. With Q36.5, with Pinarello, with all our partners, he pushes them to the limits to out-innovate the competition, but as soon as the product is developed, he makes sure that it goes to every single rider on the team, because Tom knows that his success is only if all 30 riders on the team benefit from it," team manager Doug Ryder said in an interview with Domestique. "I see that very rarely in leaders in sport and in cycling, but he sees himself as being responsible for taking a leadership role to support the bigger quantum of the team.”

Pidcock made the move to the Swiss team in 2025 with the promise of freedom and leadership. The Briton quickly turned this into a success with several early-season victories; a battle with Tadej Pogacar at Strade Bianche; and a breakthrough Grand Tour performance where he finished on the podium for the first time. It was the result of the space and independence he had from being in a team that was previously seen as quite modest for a rider of his level. But this freedom to go with his plans proved key.

“I think he couldn’t do that in other teams. He didn’t have that kind of freedom and trust, and those two things are important for Tom," Ryder stated. This was ultimately the case with INEOS, where in the Grand Tours the plans were often to work towards a fixed GC leader and work around the 'mountain train' tactics.

Furthermore, mixing his ambitions on the road with cyclocross and mountain biking would add further strain as the team prioritized in all levels the road. "On this team, he’s been able to exercise that freedom and that responsibility that we’ve given him, and he’s embraced it wholeheartedly.”

Pidcock has an astonishing season and that has in return benefitted the Swiss team greatly. “Attracting a rider like Tom Pidcock to our team was an absolute gift, because he took a calculated risk to come to us. Obviously, we had been a World Tour team [as Qhubeka], but it was still a risk, and he took a decision that would be decisive for his career.”

With a strong leader and World Tour-level structure, not even quality World Tour leaders were afraid to make the jump. The transfer market proved to be incredibly successful with the addition of Sam Bennett, Eddie Dunbar, Chris Harper, Fred Wright, Brent van Moer, Tom Gloag, Quinten Hermans and more...

Suddenly, the team were a highly attractive option, and is now on a level above that of several World Tour structures, one can argue. “Gone are the days where we have to knock on doors. Now there are lots of riders contacting us to see if there’s an opportunity with us, which is nice.”

The team has also scored enough UCI points to have an automatic wildcard to all World Tour races, a very different challenge to what had been the case previously. “It was a difficult season to plan, and I think his GC at the Giro was probably compromised by having to race so much in the early part of the season to get a wildcard. But then at the Vuelta, he’s obviously shown that he is a three-week rider when he puts his mind to it.”

Pidcock will have a packed spring including Omloop het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, Milano-Torino, Milano-Sanremo, the Volta a Catalunya and all four Ardennes classics. Then he will follow the preparation towards the Tour de France, which he hasn't raced since 2024. After last year's Giro proved to be unsuccessful due to the equally busy calendar, the decision to race the Grand Boucle was obvious.

“The Tour is the Tour, so if he can take chances early and win a stage, then he will do that. What I love about Tom is that the one thing he doesn’t ever want to hear in a team briefing is ‘our objective is to not lose time.’ Tom wants us to race, and if you look at the Vuelta, we raced every single day". Hence, the French race can expect another team to try and explode the field.

The main goal will be a stage win, but with the GC also in mind, as was the case in the Vuelta. “For the Tour, the GC aspiration is in the plan, of course, but it’s not the sole focus. Tom likes to win, and we saw that in the Vuelta. If there’s a stage that suits him, he’s going to go for it. And, of course, if he survives and can still do a really good GC then, of course, he’ll go for that.

“At the Vuelta, we said top 10 was a goal and top five was the dream, and we ended up on the podium which just blew out all our minds," he argued. "So for the Tour, let’s see what happens. We’ll take our chances where we can.”