Ethan Hayter rumoured to join Tom Pidcock at Pinarello Q36.5: what the move means for Britain's 2027 Tour de France hopes

Ethan Hayter's uncertain summer appears to be over. Multiple sources reported on Tuesday that the 27-year-old Briton is expected to sign with Pinarello Q36.5 for 2027, reuniting with former INEOS Grenadiers teammate Tom Pidcock. The news arrives on the very day Hayter lines up as one of the favourites for the stage 18 time trial at the Vuelta a España, a 32.1-kilometre test from El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera.

According to journalist Daniel Benson, several sources have indicated that Hayter is now expected to sign for Q36.5, a report corroborated by CyclingUpToDate.

The four-time British time trial champion was reportedly told early in the season that his two-year stay at Soudal Quick-Step would not be extended, and according to Benson, the Belgian team was upfront about his chances of staying, ensuring rival teams were aware of Hayter's availability at an early stage. Neither team has officially announced the transfer, and the contract length remains unknown.

Just days ago, the picture looked very different. "I still don't know," Hayter told Cyclingnews when asked about his future. It was the first time in his career he had found himself in this position, having previously always had a deal sorted well before the end of the season.

A move to Q36.5 would reunite Hayter with Pidcock after the pair spent four seasons together at INEOS between 2021 and 2024. He would also join Fred Wright and Thomas Gloag, giving Q36.5 four British riders under contract for next season.

Irish climber Eddie Dunbar is signed through 2027, while compatriot Liam O'Brien is among the additions already confirmed by the team, bringing the British and Irish contingent to six.

If the transfer is completed, Hayter will become Q36.5's ninth new signing for 2027, following the confirmed arrivals of Mauro Schmid, Pavel Bittner, Sebastian Berwick, Andrew August, Jan Castellon, Tom Crabbe, and Niels Driesen.

Backed by billionaire Ivan Glasenberg, the team has invested heavily since signing Tom Pidcock for 2025, and the growing roster suggests a squad being assembled with far bigger targets in mind.

The move raises one tantalising question. Hayter has previously identified making his Tour de France debut as one of his remaining career ambitions, with the race due to begin in Britain in 2027.

Edinburgh has been confirmed as the starting city for the men's race, with three stages planned between Friday 2 and Sunday 4 July in what organisers say will be the largest free-to-watch sporting event in UK history.

Q36.5 would require an invitation as a ProTeam to participate in the Tour. The squad's growing roster and distinctly British identity would strengthen any case for inclusion at a UK Grand Départ, but the invitation ultimately remains in ASO's hands.

For now, Hayter continues to make his case on the road. With his future still in the balance, there's more than just a Vuelta stage win riding on stage 18 for Ethan Hayter. He came within 0.09 seconds of winning the opening time trial and has since spent many kilometres in breakaways, earning recognition as one of the most combative riders of this Vuelta. Today's flat time trial is another opportunity to underline his credentials.

Whether or not Q36.5 earn a Tour de France wildcard next July, the reported deal means Hayter will have a team, a clear role, and familiar faces around him in 2027. After months without answers, that alone is a significant step forward.