Tom Pidcock arrives in Switzerland: With Ineos, “things did not go as planned”

Specialist in prestigious victories, Tom Pidcock said on Sunday that he wanted to expand his track record on the road with his new Swiss team Q36.5 where he signed for three years after his conflicting departure from Ineos.

The Briton made a daring choice by signing for three seasons with this second division team, which means that he will not participate in the Tour de France this year and that he depends on invitations to go to the biggest races.

“The idea of ​​not going to the Tour this year and, I hope, coming back in 2026 with increased desire suits me,” he said to a few journalists including AFP on Sunday in Calpe, in southeast of Spain, where his team is on training.

“The arrival of Tom is a complete game-changer for us,” said general manager Doug Ryder. We are the only team in the Top 25 not to have raced a Grand Tour in recent years. With Tom, we obviously increase our chances. We’re going to apply everywhere. We would like to race the Giro or the Vuelta this year. And our big goal is to go to the Tour de France in 2026.”

Before aiming, if all goes well, for stages at the Giro in May, Pidcock would like to “also do the Italian block in March with the Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriaticio and Milan-Sanremo but we have to wait for the invitations which is new for me,” he said.

“Better for everyone that I leave” from Ineos

The 25-year-old Briton left the Ineos armada with a bang this winter after a “difficult for both parties” 2024 season. “Things did not go as planned, it was better for everyone that I left,” he said, saying he was following “the choice of the heart” to sign in Switzerland.

With Q36.5, he wants to expand his track record which includes several major victories (Alpe d’Huez stage in the Tour de France 2022, Strade Bianche 2023, Amstel Gold Race 2024 in addition to the two Olympic titles in mountain biking in Tokyo and Paris) but ultimately few in number (5 successes in total on the road).

“After the Paris Olympics, I told my girlfriend that I wanted to assert myself on the road. I think my track record is too thin. I won two Olympic gold medals (in mountain biking), world titles (in cyclo-cross) and major road races, those which are the most difficult to win. But I agree that I should win more,” agreed Pidcock, who left cyclo-cross this winter to better prepare for his road goals.