Pinarello has announced that Tom Pidcock will continue to race off-road on its bikes, but will use Scott's bikes for road racing after moving from Ineos Grenadiers to Q36.5 for 2025.

It is unusual for a single rider, especially one as high-profile as Pidcock, to mix brands in different disciplines, but Pidcock has a three-year contract with Pinarello, consistent with his three-year deal with Q36.5.

Both the team and Pinarello are controlled by billionaire Ivan Glasenberg. The agreement may also allow Pinarello to sponsor Q36.5 in the future, but this has not been confirmed.

Pinarello has stated that Pidcock's use of the bike will be limited to cyclocross, mountain biking, and gravel. Pinarello has stated that “the only occasion on which he will not compete for Pinarello is during road events.”

Q36.5 has a contract with Scott Bikes and Syncros components until the end of 2025, allowing Pidcock to switch to their road bikes.

Of his continued use of Pinarello, Pidcock said: “For me, our relationship feels more like a partnership than a sponsorship. I look forward to racing with Pinarello over the next three years and developing even more great bikes."

He added: ”I'm looking forward to working with Pinarello.

Given his contributions to the development of the cyclocross model Crossista and later the mountain bike Dogma XC, it seems that the Italian brand wanted to keep its star rider “in the family” at least to some extent.

Pidcock has yet to set foot in gravel racing, although he has played a developmental role in new models such as the Crossista, which he rode to a world championship, the Olympic gold medal-winning Dogma XC, and the brand's gravel bike, the Grevil play a role in the company's development.

We saw photos of Ineos riders in their new kit for 2025, but they are still riding Pinarello's only all-rounder race bike, the Dogma F. Pinarello has a long association with Ineos and the former Team Sky, so several teams may be racing on Pinarello bikes for the first time. However, the team's contract with the Italian cycling company ends at the end of 2024.

The Q36.5 apparel brand and associated cycling team are owned by South African businessman Ivan Glasenberg, who also owns a controlling stake in Pinarello.

It is not uncommon for star riders to be accompanied by big-name sponsors when they move teams. Recently, it was reported that Specialized would become FDJ-SUEZ's bike sponsor after Dutch superstar Demi Vollaring moved from SD-WORX to FDJ-SUEZ. However, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot's move to Visma Lease-a-Bike means that the multiple French world champion will be riding for another bike brand, this time Cervélo.

It is unusual for riders on any team to use a different brand of bike than their team sponsor, even off-road. Pidcock has done this in the past, especially before developing Dogma XC, using BMC mountain bikes without a badge in competition; Wout van Aert and Marianne Vos have been using the same brand for the cyclocross season, Jumbo-Visma already in Cervélo for consistency. They continued to use Bianchi Zolders even though they had moved to Cervélo, but at least they were repainted in Jumbo-Visma's colors.

However, Scott already makes hardtails, which Nino Schurter has used to good effect in recent years. There are no cyclocross bikes, but gravel bikes are in the lineup. Perhaps if the wheels are in motion for Q36.5 to move to Pinarello in 2026, it would be easier to allow Pidcock to make a difference for one season and then bring another team into the fold.