“I know the legs will be there” - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team unveil Giro d’Italia lineup as Tom Pidcock prepares for new chapter
Cycling
With just four days to go until the 2025 Giro d’Italia rolls
out on May 9th, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team have revealed their squad for what will
be their very first Grand Tour appearance. It marks a major milestone for the
team, and a pivotal moment for star signing Tom Pidcock, who will lead their
campaign.
Joining Pidcock in Italy will be Xabier Mikel Azparren, Nick
Zukowsky, Matteo Moschetti, Damien Howson, Mark Donovan, Milan Vader and Emīls
Liepiņš, forming a well-balanced unit of climbers and rouleurs. The team is
built with both ambition and opportunity in mind.
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“This is our first Grand Tour and it’s really something
special,” said general manager Doug Ryder in a team press release. “Our Italian
title partner Q36.5 has an extreme vision of the future of cycling clothing. To
be able to represent this brand in Italy’s greatest race is a privilege.”
“We have prepared this race well, with the utmost precision,
so our eight riders can perform to the best of their ability supported by a
dedicated group of staff working together with such unity. I’m incredibly proud
to see this team come together in the fight for results.”
Pidcock, who joined the team over the winter after leaving
INEOS Grenadiers, will ride the Giro for the first time in his career. It feels
like a fresh start for the man from Yorkshire, whose immense talent has already
brought world and Olympic titles in cyclo-cross and mountain biking, along with
wins at Strade Bianche and a stage in the Tour de France.
His time at INEOS ended sourly in 2024, but his move to
Q36.5 appears to be paying off already. Many raised eyebrows at his decision to
move from INEOS, a giant of the world tour, to Q36.5, a pro team. But, he has
made a strong start to 2025, although the Giro is a new test altogether. Can Pidcock
rise to the occasion?
“This is my first Giro d’Italia and I am excited,” said
Pidcock. “Racing in Italy is always special, and I’ve got a lot of great
memories from racing there. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us as a team and
we have a responsibility to show we are worthy of that opportunity. I believe
the whole team is going with a mission to show ourselves as Q36.5 Pro Cycling
Team.”
“For me personally I come with high ambitions and with the
form I’ve carried from the Ardennes I know the legs will be there. Of course,
there are many opportunities, but we are going to plan well and pick our
moments.”
Having left INEOS to escape the constraints of a crowded
leadership structure, Pidcock now has the freedom to target stages and
potentially more, depending on how the race unfolds. He’ll be supported by a
team not only capable of protecting him in the mountains but also fighting for
results in breakaways and bunch sprints.
“We are proud to be in the race. My last Giro d’Italia was
in 2021 with Team Qhubeka and we won three stages,” said sports director
Gabriele Missaglia. “Our ambition this year is not to start with one goal like
the general classification. We look at the race day by day. We hope to win
stages with Tom or with Matteo.
“For Matteo there are five or six sprint opportunities. For
Tom, who is our team leader, this is a perfect course with several
opportunities for his type of rider. The Giro d’Italia is an open race this
year so all our riders will have opportunities in a breakaway situation. I look
forward to racing as a team.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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