Tom Pidcock explains why he left INEOS Grenadiers - "That team was like a second family to me"

Tom Pidcock's departure from INEOS Grenadiers made him the highest-tier transfer of the winter and having signed with the modest ProTeam Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team there was definitely a huge move on the market. It wasn't something that was supposed to have happened however as the Briton still had three years of contract remaining, however he explains why he and the British team split.

"It just didn’t go how it should have at INEOS, and not how I envisioned it. The solution we came to together was to terminate the contract. It was the best decision," Pidcock said in words to journalist Daniel Benson.

"It wasn’t about one specific moment, it had been going on for a while. It’s no secret that I had a tough year, and I think INEOS did as well. It was a gradual process." He had won Amstel Gold Race, but the preparation and performances for Il Lombardia were underwhelming.

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Whilst he became Olympic Champion on the XCO discipline, on the road the team wanted more. The turning point then was his exclusion from Il Lombardia, where he was certain to lead the team after finishing second to Tadej Pogacar at Il Lombardia - a decision that was never fully explained by the team, and was said to have been taken from the team management.

Then a few months of ups-and-downs followed where his future looked uncertain, but increasingly looking like it'd be with INEOS. However Pidcock was not present at the training camp in Spain and the news soon broke out that he'd leave, and join the Swiss team. "I’ve already put it behind me. That team was like a second family to me, and I have amazing memories, but it was time for a change. I accepted that a long time ago, and now I’m fully focused on this project."

INEOS was not able to replace Pidcock with a rider of similar quality, in fact there were no major signings since early December, which means the budget planned for Pidcock's salary is in fact not being used.

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For Pidcock that is a closed chapter, and he has already been presented as the face of Q36.5: "From my heart, after the first meeting, I knew this was where I wanted to ride. In my mind, I had been thinking about it for a while. But here, they truly believe in me. There’s a shared vision of success and the freedom to just ride. I decided this was one hundred percent the right choice. The people on this team are the smartest I’ve ever worked with."

He will have full leadership and freedom within what's possible, focusing on MTB (and CX) with his personal Pinarello bike sponsorship, whilst racing in Scott bikes on the road. The Tour de France will not be on his schedule this year but he aims to be back in 2026; however for the time being he already shared more about his calendar for the upcoming months.

"It’s all a bit new because now I need to be invited to races instead of having a set plan. We have a general idea of things, so hopefully, we’ll do the Italian block too. I’d love to race Milan-San Remo, Strade Bianche, and Tirreno-Adriatico, and then maybe the Giro. It’s possible, but nothing is confirmed yet," he concluded.

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