Faster than Pogacar and van der Poel on the Poggio!? Giro d'Italia can't ignore well-prepared Pidcock says Q36.5

The Pro Continental team has been performing exceptionally well in 2025, making it difficult for RCS Sport to decide. There are the Italian teams Team Polti Kometa and VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè. Tudor has made a deal with new leaders Marc Hirschi and Julian Alaphilippe. Uno-X has been performing well for some time, and Pidcock is part of the Q36.5 payroll. The British rider is in top form.

Pidcock has his program planned out until the end of April. After Milan-Sanremo, he will do Brabantse Pijl, the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Does a Giro d'Italia fit in after that? It seems likely. However, the 25-year-old Olympic mountain bike champion was still quite relaxed about it. "I have to plan a vacation sometime, right?" he laughed. Then, more seriously: "For me, whether or not I compete in the Giro makes little difference to the coming weeks."

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Gabriele Missaglia, the sports director of Q36.5 during the Tirreno, immediately nodded when asked if Pidcock would be at the start with a Giro wildcard. "We are waiting for the decision. It is especially logistically difficult with the start already in May. However, it is also a difficult decision for the organization in many ways. If we get a wildcard, we can organize it in the best way possible. And if we get an invitation, Tom will be there," said the Italian.

Pidcock's coach, Kurt Bogaerts, confirmed this when asked. "You know that when you join a pro-continental team, you can't be sure about wildcards. No decision is still positive news for us. We are hoping for the Giro-Vuelta combination, and I think that as a team, we will prove that we belong there. But we must wait and see; you can't force something like that. We will be prepared if we are invited."

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Pidcock, who will also make his debut in the Italian stage race if he participates in the Giro, seems to be planning to do a high-altitude training camp after Milan-Sanremo. "We haven't included it in his program yet. We'll work it out as we've planned it. And when the Giro comes along, we'll work out a follow-up program. There's plenty of time for a training camp, such as the Ardennes classics. Then you could decide to arrive there refreshed so that you go to the Giro with the right level of freshness."

The past few weeks have been hectic for Q36.5 and Pidcock. He skipped the cyclo-cross winter but did start the AlUla Tour in January, winning two stages and the GC. He then won a stage in the Ruta del Sol and gave Tadej Pogacar a tough time in Strade Bianche. He also showed up for the Tirreno-Adriatico, twice finishing second in the daily results and taking sixth place in the GC.

After all those sensational results, Pidcock was naturally one of the favorites in Milan-Sanremo. However, a crash before the Cipressa prevented him from having a great battle with Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, and Filippo Ganna. On Sporza, Bogaerts applauded Pidcock's 'strong catch-up race'."Tom rode a very fast Cipressa and attacked on top of the Poggio, and had a faster climbing time than the three leaders," was the verdict after La Primavera.

Bogaerts says it's all about working relaxed now that Pidcock seems to be back to his old self at Q36.5 after leaving INEOS Grenadiers. "Tom is back to being the 18- and 19-year-old he was before. He enjoys being on his bike; cycling is not that complicated. You must work hard, have good people around you, and enjoy the game. That is what he is doing now. Together, we are trying to have a good season, grow as a rider, and become one of the best riders in the world. Other riders have to take Tom into account again, and he is doing a good job of that now. He is fascinated that we at Q36.5 dare to take the initiative, making him feel good about himself."

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])