Ineos Grenadiers’ bike sponsor conundrum has been resolved with the most predictable of conclusions – the team has confirmed a three-year extension with Pinarello.
Pinarello, now also expected to sponsor Tom Pidcock's Q36.5 team in 2026, has supplied Ineos with bikes since the British WorldTour outfit was established as Team Sky in 2010.
Ineos’ current agreement with Pinarello is due to expire at the end of 2025, and speculation earlier in the season suggested that the team may be forced to find a new supplier.
However, Sir Dave Brailsford’s team will now continue to use Pinarello bikes through 2026-2028.
While Daniel Benson reported for BikeRadar in July that a renewal was "the most logical outcome", Pinarello’s relationship with Ineos has been under scrutiny owing to the extending influence of the brand’s owner, mining billionaire Ivan Glasenberg.
Glasenberg bought Pinarello from private equity firm L Catterton in 2023, and the South African also has a controlling interest in cycling clothing company, Q36.5.
Q36.5 is the title sponsor of Pidcock’s team, currently supplied with bikes by Scott (though Pidcock rides a Pinarello mountain bike when on off-road duty).
Glasenberg has been expected to align his interests at Pinarello and Q36.5 by putting the team's riders on the Italian firm's bikes when the current arrangement with Scott comes to an end later this year.
Bike brands rarely sponsor two prominent teams and Pinarello's potential switch to Q36.5 could have left Ineos looking for a new sponsor, but Fausto Pinarello has now all but confirmed that the brand will supply both Q36.5 and Ineos in 2026.
"It's not nice to see our rider use other bikes," Fausto Pinarello told the Tuttobiciweb podcast, referring to Pidcock, who joined Q36.5 from Ineos at the start of 2025. “There's a good chance that Tom will also use our road bikes [in 2026].”
Fausto Pinarello added that the brand will "double up" on sponsorships next year.
While Q36.5's switch is yet to be officially announced, the move would see Pinarello significantly increase its visibility in the pro peloton.
Pidcock’s transfer to Q36.5 has rejuvenated the second-tier team, with Pidcock finishing third overall at the Vuelta a España. The team has secured 14 victories in 2025, compared to only five in 2024.
