Thanks to an extra wild card handed out this year a Grand Tours, it was possible for Q36.5 Pro Cycling to debut at Giro d'Italia. To pay back the organizer's trust, the Swiss team brought their biggest weapons, Tom Pidcock and sprinter Matteo Moschetti. While it wasn't a terrible debut for Q36.5, they certainly aimed for more than just two stage podiums.
"We came in pretty ambitious, and we got a bit of a reality check," Pidcock admits to Independent. "We came here knowing that it was going to be challenging but also we wanted to come out better. We didn’t achieve that stage win or that top 10 on GC, but I think for a first attempt, it’s not the end of the world. It’s definitely the best grand tour I’ve ever ridden in terms of how I feel on the last day."
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Probably many fans were hoping to see the Brit railing the breakaways with many opportunities to repeat the legendary Alpe d'Huez triumph from 2022 Tour de France. One such perfect opportunity would've been the penultimate stage 20 with Colle delle Finestre. But Pidcock missed the large breakaway because his radio broke. "I was pretty pissed off," he admits.
And thus Pidcock leaves the race with a faint 16th spot in GC and few places of honor in stages. "The idea was we’d race to win every day – or every day that suited me – and do the best GC I could."
All eyes were on Pidcock for the 9th stage when peloton revisited the famous roads of Strade Bianche, a race Pidcock won in 2023 and lost only to Tadej Pogacar this spring. But after a puncture and the mass crash, there was little he could've done. "[It] was probably my biggest chance and I had a lot of bad luck that day, but the team rode incredible and they held their own, and they can be proud of that."
But it was clear that it wasn't the same rider that was flying in first races of this season. "I think I’ve paid the price for coming out so strong," he admitted to peaking perhaps a bit too early. "I was super motivated at the start of the year. Even in January camp, I was in super good shape. It’s been a long time since then, kind of missed that extra few per cent."
With his off-season move from INEOS to Q36.5 Pro Cycling last winter, Pidcock was looking to find a leader role for himself. And so far, he describes the experience as "amazing": "There’s been just me, and everyone there to support me. But in the Giro the last week, where we’re just kind of hanging on, it’s difficult to still be the guy with that responsibility, because you’re not doing that well and you still have to keep everyone together."
Year without cyclocross
"I needed a proper reset, and it definitely worked well for the first part of the year," he explains. As a 2022 Cyclocross World Champion, does Pidcock get the itching to race also in the winter? "We’ll see. Cyclocross is tough, we race so much on the road and then to also be mentally racing through the winter as well, it’s hard."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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