Tom Pidcock to Make Giro d’Italia Debut with Q36.5 Following Wildcard Invite

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British rider Tom Pidcock will compete in the Giro d’Italia for the first time as a senior pro, after his new team Q36.5 secured a coveted wildcard entry to the Grand Tour.

Tom Pidcock, one of Britain’s most exciting cycling talents, is set to take on the 2025 Giro d’Italia – marking his first appearance at the prestigious Italian Grand Tour.

Although the 24-year-old previously won the under-23 version, often referred to as the “Baby Giro”, in 2020, he never raced the senior edition while riding for former team Ineos Grenadiers.

Now part of the ambitious Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, Pidcock will line up in May thanks to the squad receiving one of four wildcard invitations granted to second-tier teams, also known as ProTeams.

Wildcards are special invitations extended to teams that don’t automatically qualify for Grand Tours due to their lower-tier status. This year, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling’s global governing body, announced that 23 teams would take part in the Giro, up from the usual 22.

All 18 top-tier World Tour teams are automatically included, while the remaining five spots are allocated to ProTeams via wildcard selections.

Q36.5 will be joined by:

Tudor Pro Cycling, backed by ex-world champion Julian Alaphilippe,
Team Polti–Visit Malta, and
VF Group–Bardiani CSF–Faizanè, both Italian outfits with strong domestic followings.

While Q36.5 missed out on a wildcard spot for the Tour de France – with those going to Tudor, France’s TotalEnergies, and Norway’s Uno-X Mobility – the Giro invite offers the team a major platform to showcase its talent.

Pidcock has enjoyed a stellar start to life with Q36.5 since his winter switch from Ineos. He opened the season with a victory at the AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia and followed that with a sixth-place finish at Tirreno-Adriatico and a runner-up spot at the Strade Bianche, a classic Italian race known for its white gravel roads.

These results underline his form heading into a busy spring, where he’s also expected to defend his title at Amstel Gold Race on 20 April before turning his attention fully to the Giro.

While the Giro marks a new chapter, Pidcock is no stranger to Grand Tours. He’s raced the Tour de France multiple times, finishing 13th overall in 2023, his best result yet. He also made an appearance at the Vuelta a España in 2021.

At the Giro, Pidcock and Q36.5 will likely aim for stage wins, although a push for a strong finish in the general classification isn’t off the cards if things go well during the race.

Spotlight on the 2025 Giro d’Italia

The 2025 Giro d’Italia is scheduled to begin on Friday 9 May, with an opening three stages held in Albania before moving into Italian territory. It promises a dramatic and scenic route across Italy’s varied terrain.

Top contenders for this year’s edition include:

Primož Roglič (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe), fresh off a win at Volta a Catalunya
Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), seen as a rising star in the peloton

Notably, defending champion Tadej Pogačar and his rival Jonas Vingegaard will skip the Giro, focusing instead on the Tour de France later in the summer.

For Tom Pidcock, the Giro d’Italia represents both a personal milestone and a major opportunity to build on an already impressive CV. For Q36.5, it’s a chance to prove they belong on cycling’s biggest stage.

As Pidcock continues his steady rise through the pro ranks, all eyes will be on how he handles the grueling three-week Italian race – and whether he can deliver more magic on the roads of Europe.

Major Achievements of Tom Pidcock

Tom Pidcock has quickly risen through the ranks to become one of Britain’s most versatile and successful cyclists. Competing at the highest level across road racing, mountain biking, and cyclo-cross, he has collected a remarkable list of victories and podium finishes. Here’s a look at some of his standout achievements:

Road Cycling (Year-wise)

2020
- Winner of the U23 Giro d’Italia (Baby Giro)
2021
- Runner-up at Amstel Gold Race
- 2nd overall at the Tour of Britain
2022
- Stage winner at the Tour de France – Stage 12 on Alpe d’Huez
2023
- 13th overall at the Tour de France
- Winner of Strade Bianche
- Winner of Amstel Gold Race
2024
- 2nd place at Strade Bianche
- 6th overall at Tirreno-Adriatico
- Overall winner of the AlUla Tour (Saudi Arabia)

Mountain Biking (MTB) (Year-wise)

2020
- Olympic Gold Medal in Men’s Cross-country MTB at the Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021 due to COVID-19)
2021
- Winner of UCI MTB World Cup (Nove Mesto)
- Multiple podium finishes in UCI MTB World Cup events (ongoing across seasons)

Cyclo-cross (Year-wise)

2019
- Under-23 Cyclo-cross World Champion
2020
- Under-23 Cyclo-cross World Champion
2022
- Elite Men’s Cyclo-cross World Champion
(Various years)
- Multiple British national titles across junior, U23, and elite levels