After a big step in 2025, Tom Pidcock must take the next one in 2026: Tour focus without ‘a noose around his neck’

Tom Pidcock took a new approach after transferring to Q36.5 Pro Cycling. The focus would be more on the road, and less on his beloved mountain bike. That worked out extremely well, with several wins but especially a great Vuelta a España, where he finished third. That gives courage for next year, where the Tour de France will be the main goal.

2025 was the year of confirmation for Pidcock. "I think all year long, Tom has shown he belongs in that group behind Pogacar on the road," his coach Kurt Bogaerts told Velo. "We saw that at Strade, and even though Pogacar wasn’t at the Vuelta, we saw that Tom has a new courage to be with these kinds of riders. I think he maybe lacked that a little before. We now need to see where that could take him next.”

The Strade Bianche, in particular, where the Brit boldly went on the attack and only had to beat the Slovenian world champion, was a moment where reality hit. “Being in the mix with the better bike riders all year, I think that gives Tom confidence that on his day, he can potentially win from those positions. That was important for Tom later in the season and going forward. Tom knows now he doesn’t need to ride with a rope around his neck."

Q36.5 is in an excellent position, largely thanks to Pidcock. "The team made a big step forward last year, and we’re now in a position where we should get all the [wildcard] invites in 2026. So it’s not like we need to wait until the last moment – we have security in the race program. We just need to figure out the right program that considers Tom could do the Tour again.”

There's the magic word: the Tour. That will be the big objective for the British all-rounder, who is set to return after a year away. His coach already has a neat blueprint for the build-up. “We need to approach the Tour in the same way as we did the Vuelta. The Vuelta was one race where the GC went really well, but I don’t think it should be a general focus in the future for him."

Bogaerts isn’t talking about a Tour podium charge—not yet. “I think the first goal should be to get a stage win again in the Tour and then see how the race develops. I think a top-10, like we targeted this year in Spain, should be good in combination with a stage win. We only started to race for the podium late in the Vuelta after we saw that it could be possible.”

Even though the Tour is the main objective, the Classics won’t be abandoned. Pidcock learned plenty there this year, and the Ardennes beckon again. "“This was the first year for Tom with a lot more focus on the road. And it gave me a lot of confidence that Tom still can develop. He’s still relatively young as a road racer. Until this year, his focus and mindset was on off-road racing."

He won’t forget mountain biking, cyclo-cross or gravel either—but the focus lies elsewhere. “His mountain bike and cyclocross goals used a lot of his mental capacity before. But now he’s achieved so many of [those goals], he has a new hunger to try something different. He has new energy for giving the maximum on the road.”