Q36.5 applies for a WorldTour license and confirms its partnership with Pinarello for 2026

The Swiss project Q36.5 takes another step in its growth and has officially requested a WorldTour license from the UCI for the upcoming season. But the big news is that it will do so under a new name Pinarello-Q36.5, thus confirming the alliance between both brands that we had already anticipated weeks ago at Brujulabike.

Q36.5 allies with Pinarello and aims to enter the WorldTour

According to the provisional list of applications published by the International Cycling Union, the team led by Douglas Ryder has submitted the necessary documentation to compete for one of the 18 WorldTeam licenses for the 2026-2028 triennium. The team appears on the list under its new name, making it clear that Pinarello will become the main sponsor and bike supplier, replacing Scott.

The news is not surprising: Fausto Pinarello had already hinted earlier this month that the Italian brand was "ready to double down on professional cycling" after renewing its agreement with INEOS Grenadiers. Behind this move, there is also a strong business link, as Ivan Glasenberg, owner of Pinarello, is one of the main investors in Q36.5.

An ambitious step, although without a guaranteed spot

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Despite submitting the application, Pinarello-Q36.5 is not among the top 18 teams in the UCI ranking, a prerequisite for direct entry into the WorldTour. In principle, the vacant spot left by Intermarché-Wanty after its merger with Lotto should be filled by Uno-X Mobility, which is better ranked in the standings.

Everything points, therefore, to the Swiss team remaining in the ProTeam category for another year, albeit with a strengthened structure and a completely renewed image. However, their inclusion in the licensing process already reflects a clear intention to make the leap to the elite in the short term.

The presence of Tom Pidcock as the leader of the project, and his multidisciplinary calendar (road, gravel, MTB, and CX), reinforces that ambition. The British rider also competes with Pinarello bikes in mountain and gravel races, a detail that foreshadowed this collaboration.

The application of the new Pinarello-Q36.5 adds to other notable movements in the list published by the UCI, such as the promotion of Lotto, Israel-Premier Tech, and Uno-X to the WorldTour, or the disappearance of structures like Arkéa and Intermarché-Wanty. On the positive side, the birth of new projects like Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, driven by the Hincapie family, or MBH Bank CSB Ballan, with Hungarian and Italian capital, is also confirmed.

With this step, the Swiss team not only ensures a new image for 2026 but also strengthens Pinarello's presence in the international peloton with two top-level teams: INEOS Grenadiers and, presumably, Pinarello-Q36.5.