There's a new big player on the market - Tom Pidcock's Pinarello reportedly making a millionaire bid to sign another classics specialist
Cycling
The transfer market is rumbling. Whilst on the road, all eyes are on 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 in 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 that is also Pidcock's personal sponsor, was a key component of his 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 riding to a maiden Grand Tour podium at the Vuelta a España.
This successful year has achieved two important things negotiation-wise: Investing in 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.
Mauro Schmid may be the newest star signing
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 an 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; won one stage and fourth at the Tour of Oman; won a stage and GC at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali; 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.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
- I agree that, for Evenepoel, the Euro championship is overshadowed by the slightly off Lombardia and Worlds. However, I disagree that "Ciccone also made a serious mistake at the European Championships" because I don't think he had a win in the bag although he could have won with a perfect bike throw. Guesswork about the finish is not evidence by me for some serious mistake. Sometimes you just barely lose - although Ciccone's sourpuss about it persona was serious.flyer14-11-2026
- I bet you photobombed the video since you are his shadow!frieders314-11-2026
- Skipping the 2027 TDF would be fine in my opinion, and if so, it further reveals that him racing it in 2026 was a good decision. Seixas speaks confident, almost cocky, these days (not meant to be a criticism) and I find it a tad humorous that people (rather commentators) continually chide and advise on how Decathlon should direct and manage Seixas when Paul seems to be calling all his shots since well before this year's TDF.flyer14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too.Lozza14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too. So Zonnewotsit can stick it!Lozza14-11-2026
- Who’s gifting grand tours at UAE? Defo not Pogi! Stage wins maybe.Lozza13-11-2026
- Sepp Kuss Vuelta 2023.Lozza13-11-2026
- they have no expertise with classics, they have no leaders in classics. the classics is dominated by the few Fuori Classe riders where other riders are left with scraps. the Hiring , the salaries dont make sense at all. Same problem as Man Utd. over paid players, egos, very little performanceabstractengineer13-11-2026
- Contract year means you gotta win, at least collect UCI points, helping be damnedabstractengineer13-11-2026
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