Tom Pidcock closed out the 2026 season with a career-best fifth in the UCI rankings, leading Pinarello Q36.5 to their best season yet as they punched well above their weight as a ProTeam to finish as the 12th-best team in the world.
Out-ranking six of the 18 WorldTour teams, the Swiss team won nine races, including Eddie Dunbar's stunning stage victory at the Vuelta a España, and five for Pidcock, including Milano-Torino, and a stage of the Tour of the Alps.
Their British leader also took a narrow second place at Milan-San Remo behind Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), and finished ninth overall at the Tour de France, marking a continuation of his growth as a consistent stage racer.
With top-10 results also at Strade Bianche, Il Lombardia, GP de Quebec, GP de Montreal, Tour of Guangxi, and the World Championships road race, Pidcock scored fewer UCI points than Pogačar, Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), and Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM).
"Tom finishing fifth in the world, the highest ranking of his career, is another exceptional milestone," said Team Principal Doug Ryder on Pinarello Q36.5's website.
"He is one of the most talented athletes in cycling, and his achievements reflect both his extraordinary ability and the environment we are building around our riders to help them perform at their very best."
At 27, Pidcock will lead Pinarello Q36.5 for the third year running in 2027, with major reinforcements in the form of Giulio Ciccone, Mauro Schmid, Ethan Hayter, and AJ August, to name just four of their 10 new signings.
They'll be looking to build on the foundations of these past 10 months and four seasons of major growth since they became Q36.5, with Ryder crediting the culture of innovation and responsibility as factors in their success.
"Finishing 12th in the world is an outstanding achievement and a defining moment for our organisation. We are a UCI ProTeam competing against the very best teams in professional cycling, and this result demonstrates the strength of our vision, the quality of our people and the progress we have made together," said Ryder.
"What makes me particularly proud is that this achievement reflects the commitment, professionalism and belief of every rider, every member of staff and every partner who contributes to this project. We have built a culture where ambition is matched by hard work, where innovation drives performance and where every individual understands their responsibility towards our collective success.
"I also want to recognise our owners and partners, whose commitment and confidence in this project have been fundamental to our development. Their support allows us to think differently, invest in the right people and continue challenging the established order of professional cycling."
Pidcock scored more than four times more UCI points than Quinten Hermans – the next highest scorer on Pinarello Q36.5 – a similar multiplier to how much he outscored his next best teammate in 2025. With Schmid and Ciccone especially, the Brit has other big-name riders entering the equation as potential leaders at one-day races and at the Grand Tours, taking some of the pressure off his shoulders and likely ensuring he has more support in the finales of the biggest races.
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