Tom Pidcock will leave Ineos Grenadiers at the end of 2024 after reaching an agreement to terminate his contract. The British rider is expected to join the second division Q36.5 ProTeam in the next few days.
Dan Benson first reported the news on his Substack page and a trusted source has confirmed to Cyclingnews that Pidcock will leave Ineos Grenadiers and step down from WorldTour level to become team leader at Q36.5.
Soon after Ineos Grenadiers confirmed the news.
"INEOS Grenadiers has today announced that Tom Pidcock will leave the team at the end of this season," a brief statement said.
"The British multi-disciplinary rider has been racing with the INEOS Grenadiers since 2021 and has been a part of some iconic and memorable moments in the sport."
Ineos Grenadiers CEO John Allert said: "We’re really proud of the work we’ve done with Tom to help him achieve some extraordinary and memorable moments. Together we’ve written a powerful chapter and shown how exciting and diverse professional cycling can be.
"Tom has some big multi-disciplinary goals and we believe this decision enables both of us to pursue our future ambitions with clarity, purpose and determination.
"We thank Tom for the last four years and wish him the best of luck for the future."
Pidcock was seen at the Ineos Grenadiers November camp in Manchester but strangely did not appear in the team's social media posts or videos. Many of the Ineos Grenadiers have gathered in central Spain for a December training camp but Pidcock is reportedly not there after spending some time at his base in Andorra and then Girona.
A trusted source told Cyclingnews that Pidcock is expected to sign a contract with the Q36.5 team, with billionaire team backer Ivan Glasenberg expected to bankroll the transfer. Pidcock reportedly earned more than three million Euro per year at Ineos Grenadiers.
Cyclingnews understands that Pidcock will use Scott bikes at Q36.5 in 2025 but will continue to use a Pinarello mountain bike when he competes off-road. Glasenberg owns the Q36.5 clothing brand and team and recently purchased a controlling share of Pinarello.
It is unclear if Ineos Grenadiers will try to sign a replacement for Pidcock for 2025. Maxim Van Gils has still to confirm his future team after leaving Lotto Dstny after going through a similar process to end his contract early.
Pidcock was contracted to remain an Ineos rider until 2027 as one of their key leaders, however, his relationship with the team has broken down in recent months, especially after he was "deselected" from Il Lombardia despite being their strongest rider.
The double Olympic champion has enjoyed success at Ineos after turning professional in 2021, with highlights of a Tour de France stage win up Alpe d'Huez, a Strade Bianche solo victory and the win in this year's Amstel Gold Race.
However, as the team's highest-paid rider, which Geraint Thomas described him as, he's not lived up to the team's or his own expectations as of yet, especially at the Tour de France.
