There's a new big player on the market - Tom Pidcock's Pinarello reportedly making a millionaire bid to sign another classics specialist

The transfer market is rumbling. Whilst on the road all eyes are at the Giro d'Italia, many agents and riders alike take the end of the spring classics and the dense calendar to discuss their future. There are a lot of big moves on the making and Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team is part of them. The Swiss team is reportedly making a massive move to attempt to sign Mauro Schmid.

The team's recent past has been nothing but an impressive 'rise to the top' story. With the key figure being Pinarello owner Ivan Glasenberg, the team managed to strike absolute gold when Tom Pidcock and INEOS Grenadiers looked to go their separate ways prematurely at the end of 2024. Pinarello, the bike brand which is also Pidcock's personal sponsor, was a key component of him signing for Q36.5.

He was promised absolute leadership, independence to follow his own plans and had several of his staff members including coach Kurt Bogaerts follow him to the Swiss team. What followed was his best ever season on the road with him doubling up his victory tally; battling Tadej Pogacar at Strade Bianche; and ride to a maiden Grand Tour podium at the Vuelta a España.

This successful year has achieved two important things negotiation wise: Investing on Pidcock was worth it, and the sponsors would be willing to spend on more quality signings; and the team was now an attractive destination for riders looking for more opportunities.

Although it is not part of the World Tour, the Swiss team has wildcards for all races it wishes to participate in, and the idea that being out of the World Tour could hamper performance was disproven very quickly.

Into the 2026 season, the new riders on Q36.5's roster are very notable: Sam Bennett, Xandro Meurisse, Quinten Hermans, Eddie Dunbar, Chris Harper, Fred Wright, Aimé de Gendt, Brent van Moer, Tom Gloag and Emmanuel Houcou. A mix of classics specialists, climbers, sprinters - and some of them even young talents, not just established riders.

There is intent on improving the team even further, and there is a clear priority: Mauro Schmid. According to journalist Daniel Benson, an offer was made, and it had a prominent €2 million euros a season salary, an extremely high figure.

The team is based in Switzerland and Schmid is the current national champion of the country. This is a major argument for the pursuit of the Team Jayco AlUla rider, but his results are an equally strong argument.

This season Schmid was second at the Tour Down Under; fourth at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race; won the Muscat Classic; one stage win and fourth at the Tour of Oman; won a stage and GC at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali; has finished sixth at Amstel Gold Race and second to Paul Seixas at La Fléche Wallonne.

It was a very busy spring with a schedule focused on UCI points, but he is currently one of the top scorers in the peloton. The classics specialist could join Pidcock to form a formidable classics block, with him having reached the best level of his career so far this season.