Giulio Ciccone leaves Lidl-Trek after eight seasons to join Pinarello Q36.5 on three-year deal
The 31-year-old Italian climber ends eight seasons with Lidl-Trek and will ride alongside Tom Pidcock at the Swiss team. Lidl-Trek announced his departure on the eve of the Giro di Lombardia, despite three years left on his contract.
Contract and departure
Pinarello Q36.5 announced on Monday, 12 October 2026, that Giulio Ciccone has signed a three-year contract with the Swiss team. The Italian climber parted ways with Lidl-Trek by mutual agreement after eight seasons with the squad. Reuters reports that the team announced his departure on the eve of the Giro di Lombardia, even though three years remained on his contract. Reuters and NOS give his age as 31, while Notícias ao Minuto gives it as 32.
Results before the move
Ciccone's final race for Lidl-Trek was the Giro di Lombardia, which he finished in third place on Saturday, 10 October. The result followed a second-place finish at the European road race championships, where NOS reports that Remco Evenepoel beat him in the sprint by a few millimetres. ANSA describes the silver medal as having been won by a narrow margin. Notícias ao Minuto identifies Evenepoel as riding for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe.
Career record
Reuters reports that Ciccone has won the mountains classification at both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. NOS credits him with two stage wins at the Tour and three at the Giro, along with victory at the Clásica San Sebastián in 2025. Ouest France describes him as a rider from the Abruzzi region and a triple stage winner at the Giro. Notícias ao Minuto counts 13 professional victories in his career.
New team and teammates
At Pinarello Q36.5 Ciccone will ride alongside British rider Tom Pidcock, according to Reuters. NOS reports that the Swiss team had already signed Mauro Schmid. Notícias ao Minuto says Ciccone is leaving the WorldTour for one of the main ProTeams, a step down in classification that it expects will still give him access to the most important competitions.
- Lidl-Trek announces Ciccone's departure on the eve of the Giro di Lombardia
- Ciccone finishes third at the Giro di Lombardia, his last race for Lidl-Trek
- Pinarello Q36.5 announces a three-year contract with Ciccone
In his words
In a statement published by the team, Ciccone described the decision as follows.
After eight years with the same team, this is a big decision, but one I genuinely wanted to make,
He added that he needed a fresh start.
I feel I still have a lot to give, and I needed a new challenge, fresh motivation and an environment where I could feel at home.
On Pidcock, Ciccone said he had long admired the rider.
I've always admired him, not only because of his talent, but because he's a rider who thinks differently and isn't afraid to do things his own way,
Reuters reports that the contract runs for three years.
