Why Pidcock skipped the official setup at the World Championships and rode €6,000 Partington wheels

Tom Pidcock took advantage of the World Championship in Montreal to make an important change to his Pinarello Dogma F. The British rider switched from the Zipp wheels typically associated with the Pinarello-Q36.5 setup and competed with a set of Partington R-Series Performance, an exclusive carbon wheelset made by the Australian company.

Pidcock swapped Zipp for Partington for the World Championship

The World Championships provide a unique situation for professional cyclists. For a few days, they stop competing under the structure of their commercial teams and instead race with their respective national teams, which can give them some leeway to modify their usual equipment.

Pidcock took advantage of this circumstance to explore new technical options. For the Elite men's race, in which he finished seventh, he kept his Pinarello Dogma F but replaced the Zipp wheels sponsored by his team with Partington R-Series wheels. Unlike other occasions when teams or cyclists choose to mount equipment without logos or in a discreet manner, this time the wheels showcased their original aesthetics with large logos.

This choice is also interesting as it could hint at changes in the team's equipment for upcoming seasons, given the close relationship between the Australian brand and the Pinarello-Q36.5 environment. Just a few days ago, we saw that in the first official Pinarello store in New York, they have these wheels for sale, and the explanation is quite simple.

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Ivan Glasenberg, owner of Pinarello and the team, is closely linked to the Q36.5 project and also has investments in Partington, as reported by the Italian media BiciDaStrada. Therefore, although Pidcock moved away from the Zipp-sponsored setup, he chose a product belonging to the business ecosystem surrounding his team.

It is worth noting that just a few weeks ago, Glasenberg was also linked to the purchase of a stake in Campagnolo, so it is not unusual to think that both Partington and Campagnolo could be technical partners of the Pinarello Q36.5 team in the coming seasons.

A wheelset costing €6,000, weighing 1,200 grams and with a 50 mm profile

The Partington R-Series Performance wheels used by Pidcock are one of the most exclusive wheelsets on the market. The version used in Montreal had a 50 mm profile and a claimed weight of only 1,200 grams per pair, which represents a saving of 200g compared to the Zipp 454 NSW that Pidcock has used throughout the season.

Partington uses carbon rims with an internal width of 23 mm and an external width of 34 mm, along with a unique construction featuring aerodynamic carbon spokes that extend from one side of the wheel to the other through their Flexon system. Pidcock completed the setup with 30 mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed tubeless tires.

The Partington wheels are not an economical alternative either. The R-Series Performance has a price in Europe that hovers around €6,000 per set, placing them among the most expensive road wheels on the market.

You can check out the rest of Partington's catalog on their official website.