"This year I do not hate cycling" - Tom Pidcock's brother Joseph announces retirement at 24 in emotional message
Cycling
Joe Pidcock, the brother of Tom Pidcock, has officially retired from cycling at the age of 24. In an emotional message on social media, he said goodbye to the peloton after a short career after battling with both enjoying and progressing in the sport.
Pidcock officially called time on his career in Guangxi last month. After two seasons at Pinarello Q36.5, the Yorkshire native will not continue in the peloton despite his young age. His cycling career saw him follow in the footsteps of older brother Tom.
"But that is not for now. I have tried. I have tried to be good at my sport and I have tried to enjoy it," Pidcock wrote on Instagram.
"I have been happy these past few months. Every other year I wanted to quit cycling at the end of the season, but this year I do not hate cycling. And I don't want to hate cycling either."
Tom Pidcock
"I want to thank everyone who thought I would become someone"
He added: "I want to thank everyone who thought I would become someone and who have always continued to support me. You know who you are."
He spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons at Groupama FDJ United's development team, riding alongside the likes of Lenny Martinez, Romain Gregoire and Laurence Pithie in the development team's strong crop of young riders.
Afterwards, he joined British Continental team Trinity Racing for two seasons. Known as a development hotbed for over a dozen current WorldTour talents, it's the team behind big names such as Ben Healy, Tom Pidcock and Paul Magnier. Joey got his big break in 2025 as he joined brother Tom in joining Pinarello Q36.5. In two seasons with the team.
Tom Pidcock pays tribute to his brother
Tom took second overall in Guangxi as the general classification battle took until the final climb of the entire race to kick off. Despite showing strong form in recent weeks, he was just short against Widar - who won by a handful of seconds in the climb to the finish, marking the end of the season.
Taking to Instagram, Tom revealed his main motivation for victory was not just a WorldTour overall win, but to finish with a flourish in the last time he'll ride alongside his brother while they're both professional.
"Today I dreamed of winning with Joey in his last pro race but we had to settle for second… again," Pidcock wrote on Instagram.
"I can be proud of how far myself and Pinarello Q36.5 have come. Now time for some fun and a good old rest," he concluded. "But I must say… I'm already excited for next year."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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