Pinarello-Q36.5 signs Tour of Türkiye winner Sebastian Berwick to strengthen Tom Pidcock’s climbing support

Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling has made yet another move in the transfer market. The Swiss team already secured Mauro Schmid earlier this month, and now Australian climber Sebastian Berwick has also signed for the squad. The 26-year-old will make the switch from Caja Rural-Seguros RGA on a two-year contract.

Berwick has been regarded as a talented climber for years. After producing strong results at continental level, he joined Israel Start-Up Nation in 2021. That same year, he immediately rode his first Grand Tour at the Vuelta a España, although his breakthrough at the highest level took a little longer to arrive. He continued to post promising results in the under-23 ranks and in Asia, but found it more difficult to make the same impression in Europe’s biggest races.

That led Berwick to choose a new adventure with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA in 2024. His first seasons with the Spanish team were not straightforward either, but the diminutive Australian gradually began to find his best level. He finished fifth in the Andorra Morabanc Classic in 2025 before making a genuine breakthrough this season by winning the overall classification at the Tour of Türkiye, where he dug deep to keep Iván Ramiro Sosa behind him in the battle for the title.

With that kind of form, it was hardly surprising that Caja Rural selected the Australian for its Tour de France squad. Berwick was unable to make the impact there that he might have hoped for, but Pinarello-Q36.5 has nevertheless seen enough to invest in the 26-year-old climber. He has signed a two-season deal with the team led by, among others, Tom Pidcock.

“I feel like I’ve taken a big step forward this year in terms of consistency,” Berwick said in a press release. “The confidence has grown race by race, both in myself and from the people around me. Winning the Tour of Türkiye changed the way I see myself as a GC rider and showed me that I can genuinely be competitive in stage races.” His victory in Türkiye was the biggest result of his career to date and confirmed the progress he had shown throughout the first part of 2026.

At his new team, Berwick is likely to have slightly less freedom than he enjoyed at Caja Rural. “I see myself first and foremost as a climber, but I enjoy the responsibility of being a leader just as much as I enjoy working for somebody else and helping the team win. Joining Pinarello-Q36.5 feels like the right next step for me. I want to win, but I also want to win with good people around me.”

Team manager Douglas Ryder explained why Pinarello-Q36.5 was keen to bring Berwick on board. “Sebastian adds another dimension to our roster. His performances this season show a rider who is becoming increasingly consistent and confident, and his victory at the Tour of Türkiye proved that he can take responsibility and deliver in a stage race.” The signing comes during an ambitious transfer period for the Swiss outfit, which has also brought in Schmid as it continues to strengthen the squad around its biggest names.

Pidcock’s general classification ambitions have become increasingly clear following his third place at the 2025 Vuelta a España and ninth place at the 2026 Tour de France. The British star therefore gains valuable climbing support in Berwick. There is another potentially useful detail too: the two riders have relatively similar builds, which could prove advantageous if Pidcock suffers a mechanical problem and needs an emergency bike change. Similar considerations have influenced Grand Tour team selections before, making Berwick a potentially useful addition both as a mountain domestique and as a rider capable of pursuing his own opportunities.