Both riders were seen on what looks to be a new full-suspension Pinarello model at the recent French Cup in Guerét
Tom Pidcock racing aboard a BMC Fourstroke mtb for Ineos Grenadiers(Image credit: Michal Červený)
Both Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot appear to have raced the recent French Cup in Guerét on new prototype Pinarello mountain bikes. Ferrand rode to a clear victory in the women's XC race while Pidcock had to retire with a mechanical in the men's short track event.
Both riders were riding Pinarello prototype mountain bikes covered in black and white camouflage designs. The bikes were both full suspension models and are surely a strong sign Pinarello wants to re-enter the MTB space. An obvious choice given the calibre of its two MTB stars.
Pinarello does not currently produce an MTB model, although it has in years gone by. Pidcock has raced up until this point on an unmarked BMC Fourstroke model. The Italian brand is surely keen to have both Pidcock and Ferrand-Prevot racing on Pinarello MTBs.
In the Instagram post below first shared by the Escape Collective, you can see a shot of Pidcock aboard the new bike on the start line.
The currently unknown Pinarello model looks to use a carbon fibre frame with a curved top tube shape which shares some design cues with the Crossista cyclo cross bike developed with Pidcock.
SR Suntour suspension has featured on Pidcock's MTBs for the past few years and an electronic control box of sorts can be seen mounted to the rear shock and front forks. The rear shock is mounted high under the top tube with a split yoke-style linkage. Down at the bottom bracket a gap around the seat tube and bb shell could be to improve ride characteristics or to add further linkage or shock positioning options.
29-inch Princeton Carbonworks wheels were used, wrapped in Continental Race King tyres. Princeton also doesn't look to sell a dedicated MTB wheelset at present, so this could well be another new component for the build.
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Pidcock used a mechanical Shimano XTR rear derailleur and shifter paired with top-tier XTR brakes. Perhaps showing some concern about a Di2 wire rattled free over rough ground. Pidcock also ran a dropper post for the course.
Finally, up-front, a very short head tube features alongside a one-piece carbon fibre MOST handlebar and stem. MOST - Pinarello's in-house component brand - doesn't sell an MTB bar currently so this also looks to be a new component.
We will update this story with more details if we learn more from Pinarello or Ineos Grenadiers.
Black and white stripes give the game away in this shot, note the electronic box on the shock and wire to the upper fork legs. Plus the rear derailleur gear outer cable shows mechanical shifting for the Olympic champion. (Image credit: Italy24Press)
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
