“ TOM CHOSE THIS PROJECT BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IN THE ENVIRONMENT, THE AMBITION AND THE DIRECTION WE ARE BUILDING”
capable of competing against the best teams in the world through innovation, preparation and an aggressive sporting identity.
The early months required building almost everything from the ground up. Performance systems, operational structure, technical partnerships, rider recruitment and team culture. Every area of the organisation had to evolve simultaneously while competing inside one of the most demanding sports environments in the world.
“ The first phase was about creating the right foundations,” Ryder explains.“ Not only good riders, but the right people, the right mentality and the right long-term direction.”
That long-term direction quickly became clear. This was going to be a project built around high performance and technical excellence.
From the beginning, Q36.5 played a central role in shaping that identity. The Italian technical apparel company became far more than a logo on the jersey. Together with the team, Q36.5 helped develop a project deeply focused on innovation, equipment performance and race preparation. Testing, aerodynamics, thermoregulation and rider optimisation became integrated into the daily structure of the organisation.
Alongside this, nutrition rapidly became another central pillar in the team’ s performance evolution. That philosophy led to the integration of Amacx as the team’ s official nutrition partner – a collaboration built around precision, scientific consistency and race-specific fuelling strategies.
Developed in close alignment with the team’ s performance department, Amacx products became fully integrated into both training and racing, from altitude camps to Grand Tour preparation. The Dutch company has established itself inside elite endurance sport through a highly focused approach to sports nutrition: functional, performance-driven products developed specifically for the demands of modern high-intensity competition.
For the Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, the partnership represents far more than traditional sponsorship. Nutrition is treated as a direct performance component – integrated with recovery protocols, race planning, heat management and energy delivery under extreme racing conditions.
Inside a sport where preparation margins continue to shrink, the ability to fuel riders with precision before, during and after competition has become essential. Together with Amacx, the team continues to build an environment where innovation is not isolated to equipment alone, but extends across every detail influencing performance.
That philosophy accelerated again with the arrival of Pinarello as co-title sponsor ahead of the 2026 season. One of the most iconic names in cycling joined the project
“ TOM CHOSE THIS PROJECT BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IN THE ENVIRONMENT, THE AMBITION AND THE DIRECTION WE ARE BUILDING”
PHOTOGRAPHS: ROBERTO BROGOTTO, LUC CLAESSEN / GETTY IMAGES
British star Tom Pidcock, seen here at Striade Bianche in
March, joined the team at the start of the 2025 season.
2026 TOUR DE FRANCE | 25