Tom Pidcock presents his spring plans: full calendar for Pinarello - Q36.5-leader, from Nieuwsblad to Liège

What a year 2025 has been for Tom Pidcock. The Brit made a surprising move to Q36.5 Pro Cycling, but quickly showed it was the right decision. After his podium finish in the Vuelta a España, he is now hoping to take another step forward in 2026: the programme of the Pinarello–Q36.5 Pro Cycling leader has been announced.
The start of the year looks very different compared to last season. Whereas he began winning almost immediately in the AlUla Tour back in January, the diminutive climber now hopes to kick off his campaign at the Vuelta a la Región de Murcia. That means he will not be seen on the road until February, specifically on 13 and 14 February. He will then head via the Clásica Jaén and the Vuelta a Andalucía to Belgium, where Omloop Het Nieuwsblad awaits.

This marks the beginning of Pidcock’s classics spring, with plenty of major one-day races pencilled into his calendar. After Het Nieuwsblad, he travels to Italy for Strade Bianche, where he finished second last year. Via Milano–Torino, he then lines up for Milan–San Remo, where he hopes to improve on his 40th place from 2025.

The focus then shifts to the Ardennes, one of Pidcock’s biggest objectives for 2026. He will prepare for the hilly classics at the Volta a Catalunya, before the Ardennes campaign begins with Brabantse Pijl on 17 April. Two days later, he will start the Amstel Gold Race, followed by La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. That final race is his biggest target of the spring, according to his team.

Pidcock is satisfied with the first block of his season. “My schedule stays quite similar to previous years," he said. "But adding in some new races to keep things fresh. But also to give time to training blocks and periodisation to make sure I am ready for the races that matter most!"

The remainder of Pidcock’s programme remains something of a mystery. His team has not yet received confirmation of a start place in the Tour de France, but it seems likely that an invitation will follow. If that happens, it would again make sense for the British leader to head to Barcelona. A start in the Giro d'Italia appears far less likely, given his demanding spring campaign.