Tom Pidcock has signed a contract to ride for Ineos Grenadiers starting in 2021. The 21-year-old recently won three stages and the overall in the Baby Giro and has emerged as one of the most talented British riders in recent years.

He is expected to lead Great Britain in his elite racing debut road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Italy this weekend.

Pidcock, who is part of Trinity Racing, a team founded around him in late 2019, won bronze in the U23 World Championships road race in his native Yorkshire a year ago. An all-rounder in the vein of fellow cyclocrossers Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, Pidcock has also won Paris-Roubaix, Tour Alsace, and Junior World Championship time trial titles in the under-23 age group.

"I am very excited and proud to sign with Ineos Grenadiers. Like many British cyclists of my generation, I have always aspired to race on the road with this team, which for me is the best team in the world," Pidcock said in a statement released by his future team.

"I just want to keep racing, learning and growing as a bike rider. I feel ready for the World Tour, but I am also excited to continue exploring multiple disciplines with the support of this team."

Pidcock, who spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the now-defunct Wiggins Continental team, has had a stellar career as a cyclocross rider, winning world and European titles at the junior and under-23 levels and numerous British titles.

Last season he stepped up to the elite level and stood on many podiums throughout the winter, including a silver medal behind Van der Pol at the World Championships in Dubendorf.

The signing of Pidcock will add a talented young rider to the Ineos Grenadiers. He will join an impressive group of riders under 23 on the team, including 2019 Tour de France winner Eoghan Bernal, Ivan Sosa, Pavel Sivakov, and fellow Briton Ethan Hayter.

Team boss Dave Brailsford welcomed Pidcock.

"It is clear that Tom is one of the most exciting young riders in world cycling and part of a new era of great all-round talent. We are witnessing a new trend in cycling, the emergence of younger riders with a broader and more diverse background.

"Tom's career to date embodies just that. He competes at the highest level across multiple disciplines, is a great bike handler, a natural bike racer, and a winner. And now that he is part of Ineos Grenadier, it is energizing for the entire team to develop a talent like Tom."