Pidcock to leave INEOS Grenadiers at end of season

Olympic mountain bike champion Tom Pidcock will leave INEOS Grenadiers at the end of the season, the British cycling team announced on Wednesday.

Speculation over Pidcock's future with INEOS had lingered for several months before the British rider's departure by mutual consent was finally confirmed.

Pidcock, 25, will reportedly sign with second tier Q36.5 Pro Cycling in the coming days after reaching an agreement to terminate his INEOS contract.

"We're really proud of the work we've done with Tom to help him achieve some extraordinary and memorable moments. Together we've written a powerful chapter and shown how exciting and diverse professional cycling can be," Grenadiers chief executive John Allert said.

"Tom has some big multi-disciplinary goals and we believe this decision enables both of us to pursue our future ambitions with clarity, purpose and determination. We thank Tom for the last four years and wish him the best of luck for the future."

Pidcock's INEOS contract was due to run until the end of 2027 but reports emerged that he might leave early after a series of clashes with team management.

The disagreements culminated in Pidcock – reportedly INEOS' highest paid rider – being dropped from the squad for Il Lombardia in October.

Having admitted he was "frazzled" by the situation, Pidcock was seen at the Grenadiers' November camp in Manchester, but did not appear in the team's social media posts or videos.

Pidcock joined the Grenadiers in 2021 and has delivered some memorable results on the road, winning a stage of the 2022 Tour de France on the Alpe d'Huez as well as Strade Bianche and the Amstel Gold Race.

He also excelled on his mountain bike, winning Olympic gold in 2021 in Tokyo and 2024 in Paris.

After another season of INEOS underperformance, the team concluded a shake-up of their management structure in late October.

That overhaul included the exit of sport director Steve Cummings, who joined Australian team Jayco-AlUla this week.

Belgian Maxim Van Gils, 25, has been linked with replacing Pidcock after recently leaving Lotto Dstny.